The article discusses the pervasive skepticism among dating app users about the motives of digital matchmakers, especially with regards to visibility and match manipulation. A study analyzing user reviews of Tinder revealed a widespread belief that these platforms benefit financially while hindering users' chances of finding love. The "conflict of interest theory" suggests that dating apps' objectives may fundamentally clash with users' desires to find genuine connections. Furthermore, users are increasingly pressured into purchasing features marketed as essential for dating success, raising concerns about the integrity of these platforms.
When you swipe and swipe and nothing's working out, it could be that you've had bad luck. It could be that you're too picky...But sometimes, you might think: Maybe the nameless faces who created this product are conspiring against me to turn a profit.
Researchers analyzed more than 7,000 online reviews of Tinder...and found that many people believe that dating sites are messing with their profile's visibility, manipulating their matches.
The study's co-authors called it the "conflict of interest theory": that dating-app companies have interests fundamentally at odds with those of many dating-app users.
A recent investigation found that, more and more, apps are nudging people to pay for perks—visibility boosts, unlimited likes—marketed as tools for finding love.
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