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'It's quite soul-destroying': how we fell out of love with dating apps
(www.theguardian.com)
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this post was submitted on 29 Oct 2023
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The biggest issue is that enshittification has rendered nearly all dating apps 100% identical. And thus they share the same flaw and vibe for users.
Swipe right, like, super like, subscribe. Go premium to bypass Daily limits, etc.
It is no coincidence that match group owns nearly all major dating apps and platforms besides bumble. So they all switch to this monetization once purchased. Quick or slow, always.
10 years ago. OkCupid was an app that centered on using long quizzes with somewhat curated questions to see what your likes and dislikes and sexual kinks were and pair you up with someone while sharing info only when both of you had answered the same questions. The quizzes were the forefront alongside the score. Photos were important, but not essential per se.
But now, like every app, it has a swipe section where you quickly judge based on hot or not metric and move on. Which 30 other apps already do. And this is true for dozens of dating apps that Match Group purchased while they were still on the rise. Many still exists, as an afterthought. Because that was the goal. Keep them an afterthought.
This is spot on. The article misses the mark by blaming it on a generational shift, but it really is enshitification and the pursuit of profit over people.
It used to be common to attend weddings where the couple met online. We have several friends and relatives that met on Match years ago and who are still happily married.
Now I hear from friends that dating apps are god-awful if you're looking for a meaningful relationship with someone. These apps exist only to appease their shareholders by squeezing money out of people.
It's also worth noting that dating apps are specifically designed to prevent you from getting a date. If you actually found someone then they would lose a paying customer.
The business model of a dating app is virtually identical to a casino. Lure people in with the prospect of getting a partner, then keep them on the app for as long as possible without paying out. Once in a while someone gets lucky, which acts as the carrot on the stick for the rest.