Dating Apps: The Uncomfortable Truth

No matter the rationalisations used, the unavoidable conclusion is drawn that dating apps in all their variety and variation are crutches to one degree or another. Tinder, Bumble, POF… they all are designed purposely to hook us in, keep us coming back and turn wondrous human beings into dependent shells of our former self. This is authored from personal experience and the reading and research that I have done.

The main ‘advantage’ of dating apps such as Tinder is that they are routes to easily access a wellspring of girls with ease. I am here to tell you that this ease is only perceived ease. Our minds have been fooled, and our brain circuitry hijacked. Every minute we spend tapping our digits across the alluringly bright and glowing screen of our smartphone is one we are not doing real approaches, increasing our SMV and a myriad of other inherently valuable things. We use Tinder not because it in and of itself is valuable, it is because of what it promises to bring us that we come back to it day after day. For the vast, vast majority, the ROI (Return on Investment) of Tinder and the like is not worth it. It costs us far more than it brings to us. For men on the upward path, anything that does this must be purged and purged with urgency.

For those of you (myself included) on the journey of NoFap, using dating apps is like playing with dynamite. As it is said in ‘Willpower Doesn’t Work’, our behavioural cues are deeply ingrained and subconscious. No matter the context, our primal brains see the features of a young, attractive and fertile mate and arousal sparks off with a flash. The fact that it is merely the arrangement of pixels is incomprehensible to a part of our brain that evolved when the height of technology was a stick with some flint tied to the end. The part of our brain that can comprehend this, the prefrontal cortex, and help us make better decisions, is the same part that shuts down the moment arousal begins.

Dating apps play on our psychology, both to reel us in and keep us hooked. The very creator of the app said it was inspired by the experiments of B. F. Skinner, who turned pigeons into gambling addicts through uncertain reward - the irony and familiarity should be apparent to you. If we swiped and swiped and never matched with anyone, we would quickly leave these apps to wither. The fact that it might be the next person we swipe, and if not then the next, or the girl after that is what entrances us. If you are like me, and you in the past time when you would go on Tinder, so you could swipe twice a day and not just once, you have a compulsion to use it. And it needs to go.

The very core, the very roots of apps like Tinder are rotten gentlemen. They are based on manipulation, on the psychology of addiction. Every sound, colour and element of the user interface is meticulously designed to drag back in a human mind woefully inadequate for the time we find ourselves living in. There is a reason why Tinder implemented the Plus and Gold features, aside money-grabbing greed. The number of right swipes, one-hundred total, is just enough to get you into a flow state. Right, right, left, left, right, left… you do this for five, maybe ten minutes zoned in and hypnotised by the novelty and new faces and bodies before you. All of a sudden, you hit a wall. The new faces and girls stop. The little squirts of dopamine cease. Come back in twelve hours it says… unless you slide us some of your hard-earned cash, then you can keep swiping until your heart is content (hint: it never will be). This is the key point: it is nearly impossible to responsibly use an app that completely depends on its users being irresponsible and dependent on it to operate and survive. In the case of Tinder Plus and Gold, if in any other area we spent hard, real money on the mere possibility of getting a result which was uncertain at best to being with, we would be seen as insane.

There will be people who think that they are not addicted and to each their own. One thing I would advise in all areas is to ask yourself if you truly believe what you are saying, or if you are rationalising your behaviour in order to avoid making hard decisions and confronting harsh realities.

 

I met my last gf on tinder, spend great one year with her and cured my PIED.

I just set my settings - age, distance - and like em all. I dont watch, just click clik clik i dont care. Some like u back. Ok. Invite to date. U have real date now.

 

Yo man Sardonic, its all good, you will be 30 thats cool. I had my 1st long term relationship after I started NoFap cca year and something ago. That means that Ive spend my 35th year of life in relationship. So freaking what? You still have time, no worries. And dont pursue that, forget that you need to have sex before this and that date. You "need" absolutely nothing in this. Anyway, what u describe is standard on Tinder for a male. I hauled thru it, and met my gf (now ex - another story)

Just click thru those images, if u get a match, reply something casual, wait for a reply, than try to set a date fast - if not working, move on to another. Takes a few minutes of your day. I dont think its bad, if you do it like me. Just dont add any value to it, or a meaning, dont think about it, click click, bam bam, and after some time, you have a date. Why not? And so what if it takes months?

 

Thats why I just click thru the pictures, I press "like" on Tinder, like 10x a second, you dont even have to look at the pictures. If u get a match, check if it looks somehow good. But honestly, my "now ex" had the worse pictures ever. Than I told myself, whatever, I will date her and see for myself and WTF she looked good. Also, this aproach will improve your dating game. Dont turn nobody down. Go on those dates, u never know. If you dont enjoy it, tell her at the end you dont feel it and wish her good luck. Thats it. In all possible scenarios, you will gain some social skills.

Just dont let the app make u feel like shit if u dont have matches. It takes time. I had like one match in month... so what. Better one than zero, u can meet ppl outside in the meantime as well. Its not like u need to wait for that match.

My experience only

PS: Ive cracked the code of that app, if someone really wants to know, I can share, its simple AF. Just reply to me

 

Yes, bottom line is, if the app makes u feel bad, delete it. I use it in a way I dont care. I guess using all the likes I have takes maximum of 60 seconds.

I dont know if giving likes like that moves your card to bottom.

What I do is this to crack it:
I set very strict ranges, so let say age 27-28
Distance 8km

And than I DISLIKE EM ALL.

Yes. This way, I get all the old accounts out of my way.

When new girl creates account, she receives my like very fast. And I guess, she can see me fast as well.

This always worked for me. Dunno why.

 

Yes, they get 100s of matches in 10 minutes, but how many of those are really good matches? They just need to go thru lots and lots of BS. Also, its a fake confidence they gain. Because its virtual, in RL, they dont get 100 matches in 10 minutes.
What I want to say, its a double edged sword. And also, I dont really care about how they have it. I care about me, and I get like 1 match a month its ok... tomorrow I have a date - after one month. But thats like 30*60 seconds time I invested.. half a hour. I dont need much more dates anyway. Good luck guys. As I say, dont get too much into it, just click thru the BS and wait. U get match, ok, u dont, ok. Be well

 

I have used match and went on a few dates with one woman and formed a relationship with another, which recently ended. I don't regret using it because i learned a lot, I feel. I never really dated before this and so haven't had to deal with rejection of a relationship breakup. I guess having now experienced both i am better prepared for the future.