Post #2: Are Dating Apps a Trap?

Are dating apps like casino slot machines? Studies have shown that the rate that people download and then delete dating apps is second only to online gambling. The Pew Research Center found that 45% of people who used dating apps recently said they left them feeling more frustrated than hopeful.

We get the illusion that we have so much choice of possible matches to scroll through but in fact this ends up making us feel that we are dispensable, leaving us crippled with guilt and inadequacy. How do you choose which match you like more from the line-up of men to then all of a sudden end up not going on a single date? What are the algorithms providing you with these days? Matches that are resulting in nothing but a waste of time! I think the dating apps want you to keep coming back. Stay single, keep swiping, just like the slot machines in the casinos.

According to PCMag Australia, the top five dating apps are Match, Tinder, Kippo, Bumble and Happn. Match is recommended for long-term relationships, Tinder recommended for casual dating, Kippo best for gamers, Bumble best for woman-first dating and Happn is a location-based dating app that encourages real-world romances. Strangely enough another website, Society19 has named some of the above-mentioned apps as the worst. According to this page, Tinder, Hinge and Bumble are in the top three as the worst offenders. What some consider benefits on the apps such as ease of use and quick hook-up, other emphasize this as a downside of the online apps. Possible problems listed are catfishing, clickbait issues, ghosting and other difficulties.

In fact, personally I have experienced many of these problems on a lot of these apps that I mention. Some of my online experiences have been talking to men that acted inappropriately, were not who they claimed to be online, or they ghosted me. I think not even Wonder Woman can be left unaffected by all the rejections.

And despite this I used to take my dating app in the bathroom, or while I’m cooking, or on my walk and I kept on swiping. I find myself wondering why am I still swiping? Despite all of this, everyone is aware that there is no going back to the world before the dating apps (Insert crying emoji here).

Meanwhile the Australian Government warns us of the dangers of online dating. Chanel Nine reports what the Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said, "Dating apps are now the most common way to meet a partner in Australia, yet the level of violence experienced by users of these platforms is deeply concerning." He also added, "However, I have made it crystal clear that if the industry fails to improve safety outcomes for Australians, we will not hesitate to develop legislative options."

I want to hear from you. Do you find dating apps a trap?

Photo credit: Biljana Boglevska Grbevska

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