dating apps - meant to keep you single?

Since the era of social media and smartphones began, social norms have changed and gotten with the times, and that includes dating. It is now extremely common for many people looking for love to seek it through apps and websites rather than the old-fashioned in-person approach. While for some this has been a success, I cannot help but notice a decent number of internet users venting their frustrations about how dating apps simply do not work, which poses the question:

are dating apps meant to keep you single?

A lot of dating app users have started becoming sceptical as the days, weeks, and months went by, yet the one meant to be was nowhere to be seen. Swipe after swipe, conversations would not last or be meaningful. Encounters with some unsavoury individuals or simply not clicking with anyone tend to be some of the main issues users face.

While dating apps seem simple on the outside, you download the app, set up a profile, swipe, and match, it is far less easy once you take a closer look:

Paywalls

One of the most prominent tactics dating apps utilise is placing paywalls behind a good two-thirds of the features. One example is needing to pay for a premium, subscription-based tier to see who liked you or to get unlimited swipes instead of a limited daily allowance.

This heavily limits the time one may spend on an app, often running out of likes to give within as little as an hour, prompting users to return the next day once their allowance has been renewed. This is essentially a hook designed to increase the chances that the user will come back.

Algorithms

Dating apps are not just a bunch of people lined up simply because they are close to you, but rather a carefully selected pool of fellow users. And carefully could mean a lot of things, with some users theorising that the people the apps are offering them are sometimes at a further distance and less compatible based on the set interests on purpose. This stretches out the number of people the app shows you and makes it less likely that you will find someone quickly, extending the time you spend on the app before getting rid of it.

Rejection fatigue and addiction

For some, dating apps can have a longer-lasting effect and take a toll on their mental health, similar to gambling. The action of actively swiping for a reward sounds very much like slot machines, with users just awaiting a reward, which can, in some individuals, lead to addiction.

But what happens when someone swipes over and over with no reward? It can result in various issues, such as burnout, self-esteem problems, or even being put off dating entirely due to fruitless and sometimes outright negative experiences.

However, because dating apps can be addictive, users often return despite feeling stress and frustration, hoping that this time will be a success, turning the entire ordeal into a vicious cycle.

The promise

Most dating apps promise the same thing, you will find someone, you will find many someones, conveniently leaving out the advertising material the reality of it and oversaturating the experience throughout rose tinted glasses as an attempt to gather as many users as possible, and later hoping to turn some of those users into paid clients by tempting them with features meant to make the entire process (complicated on purpose) a lot easier by addresing the frustrations users have with a (usually paid for) solution.

So, are dating apps 'bad'?

Not necessarily. There are plenty of success stories out there, with many people ending up meeting someone they truly clicked with on dating apps. For some, it happened more easily than others, but more often than not, it took hours of swiping and countless conversations, if not giving the apps second, third, or even fourth chances after endless failed attempts and burnout. So while the idea of a dating app is not inherently bad, the execution and the hunger for money shown through endless paywalls and the preying on emotions for financial gain have tarnished the idea of what a dating app should be.

How does this tie into advertising?

Some of these tactics are not really dating apps exclusives or invented by the industry itself, there have been examples of companies making certain aspects of something (e.g: pay to win games) purposely difficult and then offering a easy solution someone may call to in desperation in exchance for monetary gain, while leaving out the details when it comes to their sponsorships and advertising materials, usually promising the user a different experience from reality.

A good example of this would be the 'FIFA' games series by Electronic Arts (EA), infamous for their overwhelming amount of microtransactions and pay-to-win schemes within the game, often prompting the player to purchase better footballers for their team to achieve an easier win compared to the ones being offered for free, which often have lower stats and are less powerful, while the paid option is better by miles, making it evermore tempting for the consumer to purchase those with real money.

What have I been doing?

I attempted to keep accessibility in mind when designing my projects, usually in terms of font readability and colour schemes used. Such as when designing a recent app mock-up for Monsoon. It was a bit tricky with the need for the colours to be low in contrast, but I do think it's quite readable for everyone. I've utilised boxes and fields with high contrast where I thought the text would not be visible otherwise, and a black text on white background theme. If the app were to go past the design stage, I would definitely introduce more contrast modes to be inclusive to everyone.

Tutor Feedback: "While the final visual outcomes could be strengthened further in a stronger visual style and execution, the breadth of your platform thinking and narrative building shows ambition and initiative. Learning Outcome 3 is evident in your effort to deliver your concept across multiple touchpoints and in your use of digital formats and mockups to communicate your vision effectively."

Conclusion

While these are shady business practices, often resulting in a loss of credibility and reputation for the company and brand, many do not shy away from them as the monetary gain in exchange is far more relevant, there are more companies than I can count that have been doing this for years, especially within the mobile games industry as of the mid 2010s, however many people have become aware of it, causing it to be less effective, but despite that still prominent with no sign of it ending anytime soon.