Yet these motivations also changed over time. I heard from users who revealed a hope for finding love, after initially using it for entertainment or ego-boost. As the interviews progressed, there was a tendency for wishful thinking to emerge. Sergio put it this way: ‘If I find someone I want to live with on Tinder it’s ideal. But it’s not something that I’m really looking for.’ It worked the other way, too: Reinout, 27, spoke about his use of Tinder with a self-deprecating humor. Like others, he had an ambitious streak when downloading the app that later faded: ‘At first I was really looking for a girlfriend. And now it’s more like yeah, I just enjoy dating.’ He had learned how to play the game, but when asked to articulate his ‘ultimate goal,’ he returned to a relationship mindset: ‘The ultimate goal is to meet this one perfect match who will be my best friend for the rest of my life.’
