The dark side to dating apps
SINGLES around the world are being bombarded with promises from dating apps of lasting love.
Yet the question we should be asking is whether such apps are helping us in our search for love and sex, or whether they’re simply feeding an addiction likely to result in neither.
For the businesses that develop these apps, achieving this kind of habitual use is the holy grail, not least because the data they stand to gain from such engagement can be significant.
Researchers in the field of persuasive technology have found ways to fine-tune their mechanics so as to elicit tiny, instant, unpredictable patterns of reward, the very kind that send us into loops of repetitive activity. The trick isn’t simply that the reward isn’t quite satisfying (the novelty of a match or a message soon wears off ), rather, since we become conditioned to expect a possible reward for playing the game.Of course, the hit rapidly wears off, and so the next time we receive a trigger we’re primed and ready to go, knowing that another, bigger hit may be just around the corner if we keep going.
When it comes to dating, although it may feel like we’re getting a better deal, we are in fact losing vast amounts of important information that we would otherwise gain if meeting someone face to face.Instead of resigning yourself unthinkingly to your app, take a moment to ask whether it’s working for you. If you feel like you’re stuck in a world of swiping and you’d like some relief, fear not, there are a few things you can do. Firstly, turn off your notifications. Secondly, if you want the hit but don’t want to be dominated by it, you can limit yourself to 10 swipes a day. Finally, if you feel you’re powerless to resist it,delete your app. – The Independent