Love-el Up! Navigating the World of Gamified Dating Apps!
In today’s world of virtual romance, when love and algorithms collide, dating apps have completely changed the game, literally! Our quest for companionship has been turned into… a gamified experience. How do you get more matches? How do you trick the algorithm into giving you better options? Find the “one?”
Honestly, there are no easy answers to any of those questions. And before you ask, this isn’t a how-to guide in navigating dating apps. Instead, here’s our therapist’s breakdown of the good and bad of this ambitious crossover. But first, we’ve got to take a slight detour to understand why this crossover happened in the first place.
Gamification: What’s the allure?
Gamification, i.e., the approach of using game-like mechanisms such as competition, rewards, and interactive challenges, first entered the dating app realm in the mid-2010s. But it really took shape in the now iconic swipe feature introduced in Tinder. It changed the game (sorry, you know we had to) and the way we navigate potential matches in a decision-making approach similar to conventional role-playing games (RPGs’). Gamification heavily (and we mean, heavily) harnesses the strength of behavioural psychology to keep us continuously engaged, leaving us asking for more. It accomplishes this by plugging in systems such as points, badges, and levels to bring in more engagement. That said, let’s explore what both sides have to say about this ambitious crossover.
The Good
A whole lot of fun!
Dating can sometimes feel like navigating a job interview. But gamified dating can make it almost…fun! It feels like lower stakes than going through a detailed bio-data. There are fun prompts, videos, voice notes and a breakdown of some general good-to-know things about the people you’re looking to date. Adding playful elements makes the whole experience more enjoyable, lightening the mood and reducing the pressure.
Motivational Magic
Achievements and rewards provide that extra push to keep us active on the app, ensuring that we keep conversations going and pulling us out of our social shells. These can motivate us, fuelling the effort we put into our profiles and interactions. It’s like having a friendly coach nudging us to stay in the game and not give up. Keep in mind, that persistence tends to pay off in the dating world.
The Nudge for Courage
Embracing the numerous gamified mechanics on dating such as levelling up and earning badges can feel like getting a digital pat on the back. These little achievements can feel like a confidence boost, equivalent to having our own personal cheerleader, helping us put our best foot forward.
Revving the Engagement Engine
Gamified elements keep the app lively and engaging. You’re not just endlessly swiping through profiles; you’re on a quest…to find matches! This keeps the experience fresh and exciting, like going on a mini-adventure every time you log in. Suddenly, you’re more invested in the process.
The Pitfalls of Gamified Dating Apps:
The Instant Gratification Trap
Gamified dating apps, more often than not, tend to turn us into kids in a candy store, giving us a sugar rush every time we get a match. But here’s the thing – relationships are meant to take time. When we’re conditioned to expect instant results, we might forget that real connections take a bit more simmering. Think slow-cooked stew, as opposed to microwave popcorn.
The Competition Conundrum
Chasing achievements and leaderboard metrics like perfect streaks, top conversational, and most matches, can push us to be competitive, taking us away from the real objective – to find a connection. The truth of the matter is that love isn’t a sport, and there are no actual prizes for these supposed achievements.
The Validation Vortex
Collecting matches and receiving compliments on our profiles can feel like a constant stream of validation – like getting virtual high-fives every few hours. But relying too much on this external validation can get quite tricky. It can make us forget that our worth isn’t contingent on the number of likes or matches we get. Remember, you’re awesome even without that “Most Popular Dater” badge.
The Real-Life Disconnect
I’m sure you saw this one coming. In games, you can restart levels, but in real life, people have feelings (shocker). Treating dating like a game without real-world consequences can lead to a significant disconnect, making us less sensitive to others’ emotions. We’ve all heard stories of people on dating apps receiving distasteful messages and alarmingly erratic behaviours. So, while gamified dating apps can be fun, they come with their pitfalls.
So… where do we go from here? Gamified dating apps can transform the quest for love into an exciting and engaging adventure. But it’s important to remember, that at the end of the day, there are real people at the other end. People whose feelings can get hurt when we ghost them or treat them as just another level to clear. They’re not a mechanism to fulfil our need for validation or NPCs (Non-Playable Characters, for those not in the know) that fit into our quests and storylines.
Perhaps it’ll help to remember that the ultimate goal here is to find someone who truly makes you feel…like you’ve hit the jackpot.