ANALISIS PENGGUNAAN DATING APPS DI KALANGAN MAHASISWA MALANG (Studi pada Mahasiswa Swasta di Kota Malang)

The year 2020 brought significant impacts and challenges to Indonesian and international society. This was due to the emergence of the Covid-19 virus, which disrupted and hampered all activities carried out by all levels of society. Restrictions imposed during the Covid-19 pandemic caused boredom and loneliness in many individuals, leading to the urge to find new friends. Dating apps are digital platforms designed to connect individuals based on romantic interest, friendship, or casual relationships, such as Tinder and Bumble. The purpose of this study was to determine the motives for using dating apps among Malang students. This study used a qualitative research method with a phenomenological approach. This study employed a purposive sampling technique to select subjects. The selection criteria were active students at the private univercities in Malang city who used dating apps. This study aimed to determine the motives and meanings of dating app use among students. The study found that the motives for students using dating apps were influenced by feelings of loneliness, boredom, difficulty socializing in person, and encouragement from friends and social media. Motives included the desire to find a partner, a friend to chat with, and exploring relationships without commitment. Students' experiences using dating apps vary, from building social connections and finding comfort in online communication to negative experiences such as relationships without commitment.