According to a class-action complaint, dating apps like Match, Tinde,r, and Hinge have features that are highly addictive and may lead to “compulsive” usage.
On Wednesday, Valentine’s Day, a federal lawsuit was filed in the Northern District of California. It claims that Match sets out to lock users into a perpetual pay-to-play loop by designing its dating platforms with game-like features, putting profit before promises to help users find relationships. (The lawsuit on Valentine’s Day is a fitting touch.)
The complaint states that Match’s applications employ dopamine-inducing product features that are highly addictive.
The lawsuit claims that this leads users to become “addicts” who pay for more costly memberships to access premium services that provide the possibility of romance and matches.
Tech businesses are coming under increased scrutiny for features that may be alluring and affect the mental health of young people. This case, while it focuses on adults, is part of that social construct.
Several states are suing Facebook and Instagram parent firm Meta Platforms, claiming that the business’s features encourage young people to get addicted to social media and are thereby contributing to mental health problems among young people.
Ninety percent of people who use dating apps think they’re hooked on them, and seventy percent claim they hurt their mental health, according to a poll by eHarmony in February 2023.
Almost half of all users check their dating app just before bed (48%), and nearly as many (39%) say they check it first thing in the morning.
Regarding the complaint, Tinder ranks as the “6th highest grossing application on the Apple App Store,” while Hinge ranks at number eighteen.
According to the complaint, users are enticed into “compulsive” use of dating apps, which hinders their ability to achieve their relationship objectives, even though these applications promote themselves as helping individuals get closer to love.
