Excellent insight, but one more factor is proving even more sinister. Just as social media has been weaponized to foment anger as the algorithmic way to increase engagement and profits, dating apps have been hijacked by algorithims so provide the dopamine of of a connection, but are intentionally pairing you with people you are not compatible with. The goal of the dating app is to keep you on the app, not have you fall in love and kill their business model.
That is a sharp point, Jay. You’ve identified the core "glitch" in our modern social contract. As the article notes, these platforms aren't built for closure; they are built for return.
By hijacking courtship with algorithms designed for dopamine and retention, they remove the organic friction that used to lead to genuine connection. This turns dating into a high-stakes performance where the risk of "becoming content" outweighs the reward of meeting someone. It is exactly why massive financial subsidies are failing—you simply cannot bribe people out of a panopticon.
Excellent insight, but one more factor is proving even more sinister. Just as social media has been weaponized to foment anger as the algorithmic way to increase engagement and profits, dating apps have been hijacked by algorithims so provide the dopamine of of a connection, but are intentionally pairing you with people you are not compatible with. The goal of the dating app is to keep you on the app, not have you fall in love and kill their business model.
That is a sharp point, Jay. You’ve identified the core "glitch" in our modern social contract. As the article notes, these platforms aren't built for closure; they are built for return.
By hijacking courtship with algorithms designed for dopamine and retention, they remove the organic friction that used to lead to genuine connection. This turns dating into a high-stakes performance where the risk of "becoming content" outweighs the reward of meeting someone. It is exactly why massive financial subsidies are failing—you simply cannot bribe people out of a panopticon.