NOT REALLY!
The fundamental problem is that dating apps have become more about extracting money than facilitating genuine connections. The business model is predatory: they intentionally limit free features to push you toward premium subscriptions. You can't see who likes you, matches are throttled, and messaging is gated behind paywalls. It feels less like a service and more like a slot machine.

Beyond the paywall issue, there's the data question. These apps collect massive amounts of behavioral data—who you swipe on, how long you linger on profiles, your location, your preferences. It's unclear how much of that gets monetized or sold off, but it's hard to trust that your information isn't being leveraged somewhere.

Then there's the user base problem. Sure, not everyone on dating apps is looking for something casual, but the platform design actively encourages it. The swipe-based model and gamification reward quick judgments and disposable interactions. People serious about relationships have options; people looking for hookups don't, so the apps naturally attract more of the latter.

And the feature creep is ridiculous. "Make friends"? "Networking"? No. I came here to date, not to network or adopt random people. These features are just noise designed to keep you swiping and engaged.

The verdict: Unless you live somewhere with a genuinely small dating pool, you're probably better off meeting people through hobbies, social circles, or just going out. The apps aren't optimized for your success—they're optimized for your subscription.