No Match: Why Tinder and Hinge have been sued in the US

It seems to be very easy to find love in today’s world, as many matchmaking websites have taken on the responsibility for you. But have you ever felt like your search was going on forever as you scrolled through these websites? Why? Some argue that the designs of these dating apps promote compulsive usage patterns by incorporating game-like features that keep users in a perpetual pay-to-play loop, prioritising profit over helping users find meaningful relationships. A lawsuit has been filed in federal court in the Northern District of California on Valentine’s Day for the same, against Match, the parent company of dating apps like Tinder and Hinge. Here’s what’s the lawsuit about? Are these apps really encouraging compulsive behaviour? How it can affect your mental health. Tinder, Hinge, and other dating apps turn users into addicts The lawsuit filed Wednesday against Match Group claims that being stuck in a dating app loop with no date in sight is due to its design. Tinder, Hinge and other Match dating apps are filled with addictive features that encourage “compulsive” use, the proposed class-action lawsuit claims. Match intentionally designs its dating platforms with game-like features that “lock users into a perpetual pay-to-play loop” prioritising profit over promises to help users find relationships, the lawsuit adds. This, according to the suit, turns users into “addicts” who purchase ever-more-expensive subscriptions to access special features that promise romance and matches. [caption id=“attachment_13730052” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] According to the lawsuit, dating apps turns users into “addicts” who purchase ever-more-expensive subscriptions to access special features that promise romance and matches. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay.[/caption] “Match’s business model depends on generating returns through the monopolisation of users’ attention, and Match has guaranteed its market success by fomenting dating app addiction that drives expensive subscriptions and perpetual use,” the lawsuit says. It was filed by six dating app users and seeks class action status. Representatives for Dallas-based Match did not immediately respond to a message seeking comment. Though it focuses on adults, the lawsuit comes as tech companies face increasing scrutiny over addictive features that harm young people’s mental health. Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, for instance, faces a lawsuit by dozens of states accusing it of contributing to the youth mental health crisis by designing features on Instagram and Facebook that addict children to its platforms. Match’s apps, according to the lawsuit against the company, “employs recognised dopamine-manipulating product features” to turn users into “gamblers locked in a search for psychological rewards that Match makes elusive on purpose.” People becoming more lonely than before People who have become overly reliant on dating apps suffer negative consequences, particularly those who use the apps on their smartphones, because mobile dating apps are widely available to users, according to a research journal published in Sage. [caption id=“attachment_13730102” align=“alignnone” width=“640”] Though it focuses on adults, the lawsuit comes as tech companies face increasing scrutiny over addictive features that harm young people’s mental health. Image used for representational purpose/Pixabay.[/caption] The research has noted that mobile dating applications have resulted in gamification of dating, considering that dating applications’ playful interfaces, rules, and feedback mechanisms engage users to fulfil their goals — finding romantic partners — as they navigate through the profiles of potential romantic matches. But how this might become problematic? People who obsessively checked dating apps felt more lonely than before, according to another study published in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships. Compulsive users report feeling more confident on dating apps than they do offline, so they’re chasing validation while obsessively swiping. Katy Coduto, a graduate student at Ohio State who led the study, stated that social anxiety stems from societal rejection. So, swiping and not being matched really hurts. Some companies are attempting to change that paradigm through artificial intelligence, while human matchmakers are regaining popularity. “I do think apps overall will have a hard time getting away from the swipe interface, as that seems to be a large part of the appeal,” he said. “But taking that away and encouraging deeper looks into individual profiles seems like one good way to make them a little less addictive.” With inputs from AP