What is a two-sided matching market and how do dating markets fit this concept?
In a two-sided market, a business (also known as two-sided platform) has to attract two sets of customers who are complimentary. Such a market cannot work unless both sides are present. In heterosexual dating markets, you need to attract both men and women. Each woman wants to match with one man and each man wants to match with one woman (well, usually…). This market falls into the category of one-to-one matching. Two-sided markets in general do not need to be restricted in this way. For example, matching students and colleges is another example of a two-sided matching market where each college is “matched” with many students. What decision criteria do the players use when deciding to enter the online dating market? In economic analysis, we assume (usually) that people make rational decisions. Online dating requires time spent on the internet and very often a monetary fee. But for people who join such a market, those costs are outweighed by the expected benefits (expected happiness?) f
