A group of users has filed a class-action lawsuit against several popular dating apps, including Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and OkCupid, for allegedly designing their platforms to be addictive and harmful to users’ mental health. The lawsuit claims that the dating apps use various techniques, such as gamification, artificial intelligence, and variable rewards, to manipulate users into spending more time and money on the apps, while causing them to experience anxiety, depression, loneliness, and low self-esteem. The lawsuit seeks damages and injunctive relief to stop the dating apps from continuing their alleged deceptive and unfair practices.
The Dating App Paradox: A Culture Shift
Dating apps have become a ubiquitous part of modern dating culture, especially among young adults. According to a 2020 Pew Research Center survey, 30% of U.S. adults have used a dating app or site, and 12% have found a committed relationship or marriage through them. Dating apps offer convenience, variety, and accessibility to potential partners, as well as a way to express oneself and connect with others who share similar interests and preferences.
However, dating apps also pose some challenges and risks for users, such as changing dating habits, trends, and expectations. Some users may find themselves swiping endlessly, ghosting or being ghosted, experiencing rejection or frustration, or settling for superficial or casual relationships. Some users may also develop unhealthy or unrealistic standards, such as relying on physical appearance, filtering out potential matches based on arbitrary criteria, or expecting instant gratification or compatibility. These behaviors may affect users’ self-esteem, confidence, and satisfaction, as well as their ability to form meaningful and lasting connections.
To navigate the dating app landscape, some experts and users suggest following some tips and best practices, such as :
- Setting clear and realistic goals and expectations for what one is looking for and what one can offer in a relationship
- Limiting the time and energy spent on dating apps, and balancing them with other activities and interests
- Being selective and intentional about swiping, messaging, and meeting potential matches, and focusing on quality over quantity
- Being authentic, respectful, and honest with oneself and others, and avoiding deception, manipulation, or ghosting
- Being open-minded, curious, and flexible, and giving people a chance to show their personality and compatibility
- Seeking feedback, support, and advice from friends, family, or professionals, and learning from one’s experiences and mistakes
The Lawsuit Against Dating Apps
The lawsuit against the dating apps was filed in February 2024 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California by a group of users who claim to have suffered psychological, emotional, and financial harm as a result of using the dating apps. The lawsuit alleges that the dating apps have violated the California Consumer Legal Remedies Act, the California Unfair Competition Law, and the California False Advertising Law, by engaging in deceptive and unfair practices that exploit users’ psychological vulnerabilities and induce addictive behavior.
The lawsuit claims that the dating apps use various techniques to manipulate users into spending more time and money on the apps, such as:
- Gamification: The dating apps use game-like features, such as swiping, matching, liking, and rating, to create a sense of excitement, curiosity, and reward, and to trigger the release of dopamine, a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and addiction, in users’ brains.
- Artificial Intelligence: The dating apps use sophisticated algorithms and machine learning to analyze users’ behavior, preferences, and feedback, and to tailor the app experience to each user, such as by showing more attractive or compatible matches, or by adjusting the frequency and difficulty of matches, to create a sense of scarcity, urgency, and unpredictability, and to influence users’ decision-making and actions.
- Variable Rewards: The dating apps use intermittent and unpredictable rewards, such as matches, messages, likes, and compliments, to create a sense of anticipation, suspense, and surprise, and to reinforce users’ behavior and motivation, while also creating a fear of missing out, a loss of control, and a craving for more.
The lawsuit argues that these techniques are designed to create a cycle of addiction, in which users become dependent on the dating apps for validation, stimulation, and social interaction, and experience withdrawal symptoms, such as anxiety, depression, loneliness, and low self-esteem, when they are not using the apps. The lawsuit also contends that the dating apps profit from users’ addiction, by encouraging them to purchase premium features, subscriptions, or in-app currency, or by selling users’ data to third parties, without disclosing the true nature and consequences of their design and practices.
The lawsuit seeks damages and injunctive relief to stop the dating apps from continuing their alleged deceptive and unfair practices, and to require them to disclose the risks and harms of using their platforms, and to provide users with tools and options to limit or control their usage, such as by setting time limits, reminders, or notifications, or by opting out of certain features or algorithms.
The Role of Technology in Dating App Addiction
Technology plays a crucial role in the design and operation of dating apps, as well as in the development and maintenance of dating app addiction. Technology enables the dating apps to collect, process, and utilize large amounts of data and information, and to create personalized and interactive user experiences, that influence users’ behavior and outcomes. Technology also shapes users’ perceptions, expectations, and preferences, and affects their social and psychological well-being.
Gamification is a common and effective technique that uses technology to apply game elements and principles to non-game contexts, such as dating apps, to increase user engagement, motivation, and satisfaction. Gamification can have positive effects, such as enhancing users’ enjoyment, learning, and performance, but it can also have negative effects, such as inducing addiction, stress, or burnout. Gamification can also create ethical and moral dilemmas, such as manipulating users’ emotions, values, or choices, or exploiting users’ vulnerabilities or biases.
Artificial Intelligence is another powerful and pervasive technique that uses technology to perform tasks that normally require human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, and decision-making, such as in dating apps, to optimize user outcomes, such as matches, compatibility, or satisfaction. Artificial Intelligence can have beneficial effects, such as improving users’ convenience, efficiency, and accuracy, but it can also have harmful effects, such as undermining users’ autonomy, privacy, or trust. Artificial Intelligence can also raise ethical and social issues, such as bias, discrimination, or accountability.
The dating app industry is a lucrative and competitive market, with an estimated global revenue of $6.7 billion in 2020, and a projected growth of 13.9% annually until 2025. The dating app companies have a strong incentive and ability to use technology to attract and retain users, and to increase their profits, by leveraging gamification, artificial intelligence, and variable rewards, among other techniques. However, the dating app companies also have a responsibility and a duty to use technology in a responsible and ethical manner, and to protect and respect users’ rights, interests, and well-being.
Conclusion
Dating apps are a popular and influential phenomenon that have transformed the way people meet and date in the 21st century. Dating apps offer many benefits and opportunities for users, such as convenience, variety, and accessibility, but they also pose many challenges and risks, such as changing dating habits, trends, and expectations, and affecting users’ mental health. A group of users has filed a lawsuit against several dating apps, for allegedly designing their platforms to be addictive and harmful, and for profiting from users’ addiction, by using techniques such as gamification, artificial intelligence, and variable rewards. The lawsuit raises important questions and issues about the role and impact of technology in dating app addiction, and the ethical and legal implications of using technology to manipulate and exploit users. The lawsuit also calls for more awareness, transparency, and regulation of the dating app industry, and for more empowerment, education, and support for the dating app users.
