Algo Couples
We’ve all seen that graph that illustrates how couples have met over the last last century or so.
Where it used to be common practice to meet your significant other out in every day life (work, school, bar, etc), it doesn’t seem to be the case today.
In today’s world, people are relying more and more on dating apps in order to hookup, find true love, attention, etc.
However, this seems to introduce a whole other issue that people are failing to recognize.
Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, and the rest of the bunch all have the same goal, to make as much money as possible.
In order to do this they need to regularly increase the amount of users that use their platform.
If not, revenue dries up and problems start to happen. Most people understand how businesses work.
It’s safe to say that the main goal of these dating apps is to make sure that you never have a content relationship.
Where your situation always has you coming back for more.
I always found it funny that Hinge would use this as their slogan. It’s akin to a car dealership advertising: “Buy a car from us! But just once!”.
Now that we’ve established the overall goal of these companies, we need to talk algorithms.
All of your favorite social media companies use proprietary algorithms in order to feed you the best content, ads, suggestions, etc.
These dating apps work the same way. They are all designed to show you the “best matches in your area”. No idea what that means…
We don’t know how this algorithm works, but we do know that it most likely runs off physical beauty standards as it probably has a difficult time analyzing all the other characteristics that make us human.
It’s why you always see the most attractive individuals first right when you load up tinder for the first time.
Oh wait, you can include your “interests” in your profile bio.
But that isn’t the best way to bring people together either, is it?
If you initially got together because you both shared a deep passion for rock climbing, then what’s gonna happen when one of you inevitably grows out of it?
I always found interests to be poor indications on why two people should be together… The reasons should be way deeper than that.
I definitely see the allure of these apps, but only in a way I would look at an indulgent dessert.
Real relationships have been cultivated on these apps, no doubt. But there always seems to be something missing when it comes to these algo couples.
A lack of depth that could only be cultivated via human experiences absent of any form of recent technological advancement.
I’m not denying that looks are important, they’re way more important than people think, but when they’re used as a gatekeeping mechanism for potential relationship forming, something has gone astray.
A picture is NOT worth a thousand words, in this case.
On a subterranean level couples know that if they had a choice, they would have always preferred to have met in a more natural way. Why they usually make up a lie when asked how they met.
As addicted as we are to our screens today, I always try and remind myself that most of the best things that happen in life, are absent of a screen.