It makes me so mad/sad that this is the modern reality for relationships. At the same time my self esteem is skyrocketing because of all the likes like a casino with bright lights and big numbers but the whole thing feels cheapened. I know there's more valid reasons to this besides the fact that idk how to text matches but I'm blanking

  • Baader [he/him]
    ·
    4 years ago

    Hi there. There are some sources on tinder. However, form an academic standpoint, tinder is just one app. Therefore, the research is done more on a broader level. There is not much research into tinder, but very much research about persuavive design and dopamine triggers in apps/games. I am actually researching this topic at a University. Here are some news sources: https://medium.com/thrive-global/how-technology-hijacks-peoples-minds-from-a-magician-and-google-s-design-ethicist-56d62ef5edf3 http://sitn.hms.harvard.edu/flash/2018/dopamine-smartphones-battle-time/ https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/oct/05/smartphone-addiction-silicon-valley-dystopia https://www.gamasutra.com/blogs/BenLewisEvans/20130827/198975/

    If you want academic sources, I can post some, too.

    Its important for us to understand, how all games and apps work nowadays. Facebook implemented the "pull to refresh" and randomized the time line because this way every refresh is a small dopamine trigger. There is a paper from the 90s (iirc) that introduced "persuasive design", basically design to change your behaviour. This can be a good thing, for people with depression or adhd. But these designs are now being used in all online apps and games. Now, when your brain gets used to dopamine triggers with the press on a button, your receptors scream for dopamine. So you start checking you phone every 5 minutes. Nobody did that 20 years ago. This is especially true for kids and teenagers. Their brain still developes and we now know, that the brain builts it's connections dependant on what it's doing (neuroplasticity). So you basically program your brain for addiction.