My understanding of the photos on dating sites was that it is sometimes/somewhat about superficiality and somewhat about the personal feeling, sense of trust, and a hook you get when you see a face. On all social media, faces and more personal accounts attract more attention because it draws us in on a human level whether it's a dating thing or not. So, superficiality is always a part of it, and you certainly don't have to subject yourself to it if you don't want to, but I think it's not the whole thing.