Dating Apps Are Made To Keep You Single
Dating apps make their money off people looking for love.
They make money off of our loneliness, insecurity, and the desire many of us have to find a partner. They are designed to give us hope that if we download and use their app, we will be all the more likely to find love and happiness.
The desire to find a partner is so real that 30% of adults in the US have tried online dating.
Many of my friends have tried dating apps, but I only know of one who met her long-term boyfriend that way.
While they can be a great and convenient way to meet new people, dating apps are designed to keep you single.
Here are a few reasons why.
1. Dating apps create the paradox of choice.
It’s choice overload. With too many choices, it’s impossible to know whether you’re picking the “right” one.
Back in the day, people were limited to whoever they went to school with, or whoever lived in their neighborhood. But with the magic of the internet and those little rectangular devices that seem to be glued to our palms, the options are literally endless.
With so many people who you could potentially date, who could potentially be a great fit, it becomes near impossible to choose just one. What if there’s someone better out there? What if there’s someone who’s more compatible?
It becomes impossible to know.
There have been scientific studies on the “paradox of choice” that analyze how having more choices tends to lead to lower satisfaction. In addition, there is more pressure and emotional labor put into picking the “best” option.
And even after a choice is made, regret is more likely to follow.
This is because, in a world of too many choices, “good” is no longer good enough. Perfection is what we really want — and having so many choices leads us to believe that perfection exists.
In a romantic partner, it doesn’t.
There is no such thing as a perfect human being. And to believe that our soulmate…
