Fun fun fun.
I’m the first sucker to be more likely to do something if it’s gamified. What can I say, I’m a simple being. That’s why I signed up to Tinder in the first place, it looked fun. That’s gamification for you. Armed with the mighty power of the swipe-right to bestow upon those who you see fit and of course, the ultimate objective being to find love.
The format of Tinder, the swipe right swipe left aspect, is the most common form of online dating. A few sites have slight variations, such as Bumble where the woman has to message first. But mostly, they tend to follow a similar template: If you like someone, swipe right, if you don’t, swipe left and move one to the next person. Rinse and repeat! This is a very simple and effective way of condensing down those you want to take things further with, but it’s also enjoyable. What’s that about?
Well, a study completed by University College of London, explains why gamification is so successful in online dating apps. Allegedly, game playing has always been integral to romance. A man or woman will put off mating so they can figure out the suitability of their partner, weighing out the pro’s and cons of committing to their potential mate. So, what this study is saying is the so-called “chase” is ingrained in us all as a means to sift through the trash to get to the gold. That’s why online and app dating sells itself on the basis that it’s such a time saver. It’s doing for you, what you would do yourself, just faster! I’ve got to admit, that’s pretty genius.
How does gamification work?
Games = fun. It’s really as simple as that. I use the example of a mum trying to convince her child to tidy their rooms by making it a fun ‘against the clock’ type game. From an early age, we love games. So why should it be any different for dating apps? I’ll tell you why! The addictive format of swipe-based ‘dating games’ undermines dating apps hugely. Hear me out. Because the apps are basically addictive games, with the by-product of dates and attention; they attract those that aren’t even interested in dating and are literally just there for the game. This frustrates people that are actually looking for romance because they’re met with people that never reply or simply aren’t interested in meeting.
A game on which you win love and affection is kind of weird when you put it into words right? That’s basically what Tinder, OkCupid, Match.com and POF and all the other gamified dating apps are. This winning of affection can lead to setting up high expectations that can’t be met. The game ends and the reality of a rubbish date sets in. Dating apps should encourage building connections with people first rather than gamifying the experience. Or else people looking for a serious relationship may be deterred from using them.
#FOMO.
Another aspect as to why dating apps like Tinder are so popular is because of good old ‘FOMO’ or the ‘fear of missing out’. If you see your friends playing their Tinder ‘game’ and having fun, you’d probably be more likely to jump on the bandwagon. Human beings hate to feel like they’re missing out. This once again, invites more people to dating apps for the game and to ease their sense of FOMO rather than for finding love or meeting up. This is obviously great for the app because it means more downloads. But it’s not so great for the people who want to find love.
Hook-ups vs Relationships.
Gamification of dating apps may work if you’re only looking for a hook-up, because you’re not trying to form a deep connection. In this sense you get a fun game, and the possibility of a hook-up (yay you!). But for those who are trying to establish a connection with someone or are looking for a relationship, it can be more of a curse than a blessing. Expectations are set too high from the ‘winning’ of attention and half of the people on their, may only be on there for the swipe. Or even because their mate had it and it looked cool.
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