Abstract
The development of digital technology, including social media, has emerged as a means of communicating with other people, one of which is the dating application called Tinder. Socializing, doing work, dating, and sharing life stories on social media are examples of daily activities carried out by people around the world. The focus of this research is on identity manipulation techniques which are studied using self-presentation strategy theory by Erving Goffman. This study describes how the main character uses digital platforms to manipulate using the Tinder application, as documented in the documentary film "The Tinder Swindler", resulting in losses and heartbreak felt by the victims of the dating application. The purpose of this research is to look at the digital manipulation carried out by the main character who uses the Tinder application through deceptive self-presentation for personal gain and to analyze the self-presentation strategies used in these acts of manipulation. This research methodology is qualitative using a content analysis approach which is used to explore the manipulative strategies carried out by the main character. Therefore, the results of this study show that by utilizing dating applications such as Tinder, social media, and other communication technologies, a person is able to create a very convincing fake identity and use various self-presentation strategies to deceive many victims and get everything they need through the media social.
References
Alexopoulos, C., Timmermans, E., & McNallie, J. (2020). Swiping more, committing less: Unraveling the links among dating app use, dating app success, and intention to commit infidelity. Computers in Human Behavior, 102, 172–180. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2019.08.009
Appel, M., Hutmacher, F., Politt, T., & Stein, J.-P. (2023a). Swipe right? Using beauty filters in male Tinder profiles reduces women’s evaluations of trustworthiness but increases physical attractiveness and dating intention. Computers in Human Behavior, 148, 107871. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107871
Appel, M., Hutmacher, F., Politt, T., & Stein, J. P. (2023b). Swipe right? Using beauty filters in male Tinder profiles reduces women’s evaluations of trustworthiness but increases physical attractiveness and dating intention. Computers in Human Behavior, 148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107871
Bowman, Z., Drummond, M., Church, J., Kay, J., & Petersen, J. M. (2025). Dating apps and their relationship with body image, mental health and wellbeing: A systematic review. Computers in Human Behavior, 165, 108515. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108515
Choe, H. (2024). The presentation of self via everyday vlogging: Analyzing everyday vlogs of Korean expatriates. Discourse, Context and Media, 59(April). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dcm.2024.100784
Ford, T. H. (2024). Naming droughts: Historical perspectives on the scientific coining of “the Tinderbox Drought.” Weather and Climate Extremes, 46, 100736. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wace.2024.100736
Freyth, L., & Batinic, B. (2021). How bright and dark personality traits predict dating app behavior. Personality and Individual Differences, 168, 110316. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.paid.2020.110316
García-Canal, E., Guillén, M. F., & Ponte, B. (2024). Catch me if you can: A simulation model of the internationalization of digital platforms. Information and Organization, 34(1), 100501. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2024.100501
Gori, A., Topino, E., & Griffiths, M. D. (2024). The Problematic Online Dating Apps Use Scale (PODAUS): Development and evaluation of its psychometric properties. Addictive Behaviors Reports, 19, 100533. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.abrep.2024.100533
Herdianti, A. H. (2018). Pencarian Jodoh Melalui Aplikasi Tinder Di Era Digital. S1 Sosiologi FISIP UNAIR, 3(1), 1–15. http://journal.unair.ac.id/download-fullpapers-kmnts342c16c8aafull.pdf
Jiménez-Muro, A., Ramos-Villagrasa, P. J., & Castro, Á. (2024). Dating app users: Differences between middle-aged men and women. International Journal of Clinical and Health Psychology, 24(4), 100505. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijchp.2024.100505
Jones, E., & Pittman, T. (1982). Toward a general theory of strategic self-presentation. Psychological Perspectives on the Self, 1.
Kusuma, S. K., & Letare, Y. N. (2022). Pengaruh Perilaku Menyimpang Terhadap Pembentukan Citra Aplikasi Kencan Tinder di Mata Konsumen. Jurnal InterAct, 11(1), 56–67. https://doi.org/10.25170/interact.v11i1.3313
Levpušček, M. P., & Glavač, T. (2023). Beliefs about Romantic Relationships and Sexual Attitudes Predicting Romantic Relationship Experiences, Intentions, and Dating App Use. The Open Psychology Journal, 16. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.2174/0118743501268052231128111338
Lokanan, M. E. (2023). The tinder swindler: Analyzing public sentiments of romance fraud using machine learning and artificial intelligence. Journal of Economic Criminology, 2, 100023. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeconc.2023.100023
Mayshak, R., Howard, D., Benstead, M., Klas, A., Skvarc, D., Harries, T., Patafio, B., Sleep, A., King, R., & Hyder, S. (2023). Dating in the dark: A qualitative examination of dating experiences in Dark Tetrad personalities. Computers in Human Behavior, 143, 107680. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107680
Menon, D. (2024). The Bumble motivations framework- exploring a dating App’s uses by emerging adults in India. Heliyon, 10(3), e24819. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e24819
Neyt, B., Vandenbulcke, S., & Baert, S. (2019). Are men intimidated by highly educated women? Undercover on Tinder. Economics of Education Review, 73. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2019.101914
Olivera-La Rosa, A., Arango-Tobón, O. E., & Ingram, G. P. D. (2019a). Swiping right: face perception in the age of Tinder. Heliyon, 5(12). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2019.e02949
Pfundmair, M., & Berthold, V. (2020). Oxytocin makes inexperienced men more selective in their dating strategy. Comprehensive Psychoneuroendocrinology, 4, 100017. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cpnec.2020.100017
Phan, A., Seigfried-Spellar, K., & Choo, K.-K. R. (2021). Threaten me softly: A review of potential dating app risks. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 3, 100055. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100055
Ranzini, G., Rosenbaum, J. E., & Tybur, J. M. (2022). Assortative (online) dating: Insights into partner choice from an experimental dating app. Computers in Human Behavior, 127(September 2021). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.107039
Sari, W. P., & Kusuma, R. S. (2018). Presentasi Diri dalam Kencan Online pada Situs dan Aplikasi Setipe dan Tinder. Mediator: Jurnal Komunikasi, 11(2), 155–164. https://doi.org/10.29313/mediator.v11i2.3829
Shuster, S., Bird, B. M., Buhler, T., Witzel, A., & Geniole, S. N. (2024). Women’s sensitivity to threat in online dating and the (in)effectiveness of standard safety warnings. Computers in Human Behavior, 157(April). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108234
Smith, M. G. (2022). Queer enough to swipe right? Dating app experiences of sexual minority women: A cross-disciplinary review. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 8(September). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2022.100238
Walker, K., & McPherson, M. L. (2017). Love Me “Tinder”: Speed Dating with the Pharmacy Ladies (SA502). Journal of Pain and Symptom Management, 53(2), 393. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpainsymman.2016.12.178
Wan, C. yue, & Yeung, W. lan V. (2022). A socio-ecological approach to relationship goals and self-presentation strategies in American and Chinese online dating websites. Current Research in Ecological and Social Psychology, 3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cresp.2021.100029
Yu, Y., Zhang, J., & Liu, J. (2022). The effect of online self-presentation on self-esteem of sensory impairments students: Mediation of social support. Journal of Affective Disorders Reports, 10(April). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadr.2022.100392

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Copyright (c) 2025 Maria Angela Fernandez, Andre Noevi Rahmanto, Pawito