"Why do people stop using online dating applications" - The case study of tinder (customer behavior)

Abstract

If there is one thing that is going to change in 2021, it is the way people date. The Covid-19 pandemic forced people to stay indoors, which has made it impossible for many people to meet face-to-face, so they choose to date online. Dating apps now are numerous on the market, one such application is Tinder, the most famous name that dominates the world of online dating. Despite being as addictive as other social networking platforms, a lot of Tinder users choose to stop using after a time of experiencing it. The research purpose is to give the answer to the question of “Why people quitting Tinder?” besides success stories with happy endings. To achieve that, this paper is about to investigate and make a clearer view of the three factors that can affect Tinder users' intention to stop using the application: the users’ Attitudes towards Tinder after using it, the influence from surrounding people, and Users’ moral principles. The study is conducted by applying the Theory of Reasoned Action and Moral Framework Theory. The number of 334 responses was collected by online survey. The data was analyzed in the quantitative method using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) to illustrate the research construct and hypothesis. Study findings reveal that the significant effect from Attitudes towards Tinder through Users’ Perceiving leads to the Willingness to stop using Tinder behavior; also illustrate the impact of Moral Principles to Stop using Tinder Intention. Besides, the result pointed out that the Subjective Norms have no effect on the Willingness to stop using Tinder behavior, and Users’ Expectation only explains why people using Tinder, but cannot explain the reasons they quit using the app. This study makes its contribution and recommendations to Tinder in improving effective promotion campaigns for their dating application and simultaneously provides some implications that may help to change the way people see Tinder. Keywords: Tinder, User's Perceiving, Motivation/ Expectation to Tinder, Attitudes towards Tinder, Subjective Norms, Willingness to stop using Tinder behavior, the Theory of Reasoned Action (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1980), and Moral Framework Theory.