How Do You Swipe Right? : How do users of dating apps in Malmö, Sweden, make partner selection decisions based on race and ethnicity, education level, and physical appearance?

This study explores how dating app users in Malmö, Sweden, select partners based on race, ethnicity, education level, and physical appearance. Guided by Social Identity Theory (Tajfel & Turner, 1979), it examines in-group and out-group dynamics, social hierarchies, and culturally embedded preferences. Semi-structured interviews with 11 university-educated participants revealed six key themes: education as a social filter, racial preferences, physical attractiveness norms, cultural compatibility, intersectionality of race and gender, and biases reinforced by digital dating environments. Findings indicate that despite occasional challenges to prevailing norms, online dating often reinforces traditional racial and attractiveness hierarchies, even in multicultural and seemingly liberal environment like Malmö.