WOMAN: Whether you're after guys with bushy beards, a partner who has a passion for classical music, or you want to find love for you and your pooch, there's a dating app to meet your needs.
In 1995, match.com became the first major online dating site. Today there are hundreds of sites and apps. It's gone from taboo to the thing to do. But what impact is this having on society?
Whitney Wolfe could lay claim to being the 21st century's most prolific Cupid. As co-founder of dating app Tinder and CEO of Bumble, her digital dating devices have generated 20 billion matches.
WHITNEY WOLFE: Some people might say app dating has completely revolutionized their life. They've now found the love of their life, and they would have never, in 100 years, ever run into that person.
WOMAN: Today, around 295 million people use online dating services all around the world. The Netherlands tops the list with 12.5% of the population dating online. South Korea follows closely behind with 12.4% In China, one app alone, Momo, has 118 million registered users.
WHITNEY WOLFE: You have to think about what dating was before. It was limited to your social network, to the people you knew. And the funny thing about the way we act as people, we don't always branch out. We don't always expand our networks.
WOMAN: But online dating has enabled people to meet potential partners from further afield.
WHITNEY WOLFE: I really do think that expands horizons and gives you access to being with people that you traditionally would have never had the chance to really grow close to.
WOMAN: One study by researchers at MIT suggests that online dating in America has led to more interracial marriages. The technology has also made it much easier for people in minority groups to meet each other. 70% of gay couples in America now meet online. Dating apps are also popular with single, middle-aged people looking for love.
Some argue the apps are breaking down barriers and changing social norms. Whitney Wolfe launched Bumble because she wanted an app where women make the first move.
WHITNEY WOLFE: Traditionally speaking, in real life, women wouldn't have made the first move. They generally don't make the first move because society says that's not the right way to do it. Society judges them for that and oftentimes blames and shames them for behaving in a confident fashion.
WOMAN: Despite the benefits of online dating, there are concerns, too. Meeting total strangers is risky. Fake profiles are common, and sexual predators can exploit the sites. In Britain, the increase in online dating has gone hand-in-hand with a rise in dating-related crime, although the numbers are small.
Despite the growing popularity of online dating, the majority of straight couples in America still meet through friends. But according to the projections of some online dating companies, 30% of all relationships will start online by 2026.
Online dating is big and set to get bigger. Maybe online love will conquer all.