As dating apps become more widely adopted and integrated into modern dating culture, this trend has led to the dangerous “dating app” effect. Most troubling, it violently disrupts users’ mental and hormonal wellbeing. These platforms are gaining in popularity — and they should be. One recent piece of research forecasts that by 2035, more than half of all couples in the UK will have first met on the internet. This shift not only implicates issues of inclusion, but poses profound questions about the ways digital romance is changing human intimacy and emotional flourishing.
The “dating app” effect scrambles whatever pathway your brain uses to determine the reward system. This pathway forms the foundation for regulating pleasure and satisfaction. Researchers have studied this neurochemical disruption and discovered that it can lead to neurochemical dependence. Users quickly become addicted and dependent on the constant validation and excitement their use of these apps produce. In a fascinating recent article, Austrian scientists have proposed a radical solution. What’s introduced as a way to accelerate digital love actually prolongs the search for romance, creating a dragnet that keeps users ensnared.
While in the Perception Phase of this AR experience, users are frequently met with notifications that set off a second wave of enthusiasm. This expectancy for anxiety can result in increased anxiety overall, referred to as “anticipatory anxiety.” When that feedback is absent or delayed, users’ bodies react by producing increased amounts of cortisol, the stress hormone. Unfortunately, this increase can last for multiple hours. Long-term exposure to elevated cortisol levels wreaks havoc on the body, interfering with hormone and thyroid production.
Furthermore, new scientific findings suggest the “dating app” effect causes rapid changes in male sex hormones. For instance, posting on these platforms can cause an immediate jump in male sex hormone levels. Within only 20 minutes, those levels can jump 15-20%! Conversely, negative experiences, such as being ghosted or unmatched, can significantly reduce testosterone production. In some instances, it can decrease by up to 10-25%. From a mood swings standpoint, hormone fluctuations can trigger an emotional tsunami. It’s a testament to how fundamentally dating apps are influencing our emotional and physiological wellbeing.
The mechanisms at play in this “dating app” effect can be broken down into three parts: the Anticipation Phase, the Perception Phase, and Reward delivery. Each stage affects the way users interact with the application and the way that will make users feel afterwards. The reinforcement schedule inherent in these apps keeps users returning for more, often at the expense of their mental and physical well-being.
Society seems ready to adopt digital dating as a permanent way of life. It’s incredibly important to know what this change means for the quality of our relationships — and our health overall. This “dating app” effect is just one example of the negative impact from overuse of these platforms. Importantly, it underscores the need to adopt a more even-handed perspective on digital romance.
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