While plenty of happy couples can trace their meet-cute moment to an online dating app, many others find the never-ending process of likes, swipes, taps and awkward DMs that go nowhere to be exhausting 香蕉视频直播� leading to a phenomenon known as 香蕉视频直播渄ating app burnout.香蕉视频直播�

That was the case for Marilyn Espitia, a 31-year-old freelance photo editor and photographer in California who first ventured into online dating in college, when she met her former partner and now father of her child on OkCupid.

Today she is single, and has been for about three years. While she香蕉视频直播檚 still a 香蕉视频直播渉opeless romantic香蕉视频直播� who plans to keep using these platforms 香蕉视频直播� primarily Hinge 香蕉视频直播� Espitia says she香蕉视频直播檒l get off an app or pause her profile when it becomes a little too much.

香蕉视频直播淚t starts getting overwhelming,香蕉视频直播� Espitia said.

Licensed clinical psychologist Yasmine Saad says that about 3 out of every 4 people she works with use dating apps, and anywhere between 80 to 90% have expressed feeling similar fatigue or burnout as Espitia at some point.

That香蕉视频直播檚 due in part because success is never promised with online dating, regardless of whether you香蕉视频直播檙e looking for a lifelong partner or casual fling.

香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 a very difficult process for people because you invest a lot, then you receive little,香蕉视频直播� said Saad, founder and CEO of Madison Park Psychological Services in New York. 香蕉视频直播淚t triggers a lot of hopelessness and a lot of self-esteem issues.香蕉视频直播�

Kathryn Coduto, an assistant professor of media science at Boston University who has been studying online dating since 2016, says dating app burnout is probably as old as the apps themselves, noting that people had experienced fatigue with earlier desktop-dominant platforms like eHarmony or Match.com as well.

But these days, burnout may be intensified by the fact there香蕉视频直播檚 an app for just about every part of our daily lives, and that constant connectivity can be too much. Pandemic-era 香蕉视频直播淶oom fatigue香蕉视频直播� has spilled over into other areas of tech consumption, Coduto said, and online dating isn香蕉视频直播檛 immune.

That doesn香蕉视频直播檛 mean dating apps are going away anytime soon. Research shows usage has remained relatively stable over recent years.

said that reported ever using an online dating site or app as of July 2022 香蕉视频直播� identical to the share found in , months before COVID-19 impacted much of daily life, .

While there was some uptick in new user downloads at the start of the pandemic, Coduto香蕉视频直播檚 research found more of a spike in usage from those who already had dating apps and were spending more time on them during lockdowns. But those same lockdowns also limited in-person interactions, and the ripple effects are still being felt today.

香蕉视频直播淭he pandemic increased loneliness,香蕉视频直播� Saad said. 香蕉视频直播淏ut it also boosted the hopelessness 香蕉视频直播� because even the apps were not meeting the needs of people for socialization.香蕉视频直播�

For Jennifer Stavros, a freelance journalist in Los Angeles, her time in the online dating world has 香蕉视频直播渂een a mixed bag.香蕉视频直播� While she香蕉视频直播檚 still giving platforms like Tinder, Hinge and OkCupid a try, Stavros notes she香蕉视频直播檚 experienced a recent cycle of matches that don香蕉视频直播檛 go far.

香蕉视频直播淚 have a conversation 香蕉视频直播� and it香蕉视频直播檒l go okay. (But) then it will just drop, or it香蕉视频直播檒l just hit a wall somewhere,香蕉视频直播� Stavros, 42, said. 香蕉视频直播淚t香蕉视频直播檚 not making me feel super hopeful.香蕉视频直播�

Others add that it can also become easy to forget there are people on the other side of those swipes and likes, making them feel dismissed while looking for connections.

香蕉视频直播淚 think that sense of swiping endlessly absolutely plays into burnout,香蕉视频直播� Coduto said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou香蕉视频直播檙e treating people like a card deck because that香蕉视频直播檚 what you香蕉视频直播檙e looking at.香蕉视频直播�

Yumei He, an assistant professor of management science at Tulane University香蕉视频直播檚 Freeman School of Business who has also been studying online dating, said that hurtful experiences 香蕉视频直播� such as being ghosted 香蕉视频直播� can cause users to not trust a platform, or assume all future interactions there will end up the same way, leading them to log off and decide that 香蕉视频直播渄ating is important, but my security, my self (worth) is more important.香蕉视频直播�

And of course, burnout doesn香蕉视频直播檛 look the same for everyone. Experiences can range widely depending on gender, sexuality, race and ethnicity. Researchers have found that women and genderqueer individuals, for example, are more likely to face harassment than men, while racial and ethnic minorities are often fetishized in online dating spaces, or experience other discrimination resulting from sexual racism.

The trauma of experiencing discrimination and other abuse on a dating app can make it very difficult to stay on a platform or trust it again, Coduto said.

Companies are increasingly navigating ways to address all of this. Hinge, for example, in April launched 香蕉视频直播淗idden Words,香蕉视频直播� which allows its users to filter out words, phrases and emojis in their incoming likes and comments. A Hinge spokesperson says this feature is aimed at helping vulnerable groups 香蕉视频直播� particularly women, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals 香蕉视频直播� avoid unwanted interactions based on personal preferences.

Gay dating and social networking app Grindr of potential safety threats in their area, which has been particularly critical for LGBTQ+ people in countries who may face police raids and other dangers, CEO George Arison said in an interview. Users are also able to 香蕉视频直播渟urf the grid香蕉视频直播� on incognito mode, which is typically a paid feature, for free in some locations, he added.

香蕉视频直播淎ll Grindr users are under some form of challenges in their lives,香蕉视频直播� Arison said. 香蕉视频直播淥ur job has always been to create a safe environment for people to be who they are.香蕉视频直播�

When asked about dating app burnout overall, Arison said 香蕉视频直播渨e香蕉视频直播檝e not seen any fatigue of Grindr users香蕉视频直播� but he noted there香蕉视频直播檚 growing hunger for innovation.

That香蕉视频直播檚 evidenced by the scores of updates that have recently emerged across various dating apps 香蕉视频直播� from a new prompts option on Bumble, which shifts how the platform historically facilitated its 香蕉视频直播渇irst move,香蕉视频直播� to Tinder香蕉视频直播檚 香蕉视频直播淢atchmaker香蕉视频直播� feature allowing friends to recommend profiles for each other and Hinge香蕉视频直播檚 tests of 香蕉视频直播測our turn limits香蕉视频直播� to help fend off ghosting.

A handful of popular platforms, including Grindr and Tinder, say they香蕉视频直播檝e started integrating artificial intelligence to help identify potential harmful messages and other safety precautions. Some are also looking at AI possibilities such as using the technology to strengthen matching algorithms or offer users香蕉视频直播� message prompts and date ideas.

香蕉视频直播淲e are just scratching the tip of the iceberg,香蕉视频直播� said Anindya Ghose, Heinz Riehl Chair Professor of technology and marketing at New York University香蕉视频直播檚 Stern School of Business, who believes AI could help alleviate burnout but transparency will be key.

Such innovations may be a way to keep people hooked on dating apps. Espitia is among those who say she香蕉视频直播檇 be open to seeing platforms implement further updates 香蕉视频直播� including the use of AI 香蕉视频直播� if it helps improve connections with people around her.

香蕉视频直播淲e香蕉视频直播檙e in this new age of finding love,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淧eople really are like starved for love 香蕉视频直播� and I think if that (technology) can help, why not?香蕉视频直播�

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