Why Dating Apps Make So Many Men Feel Invisible
Why have men around the world come to the silent, and increasingly vocal, conclusion that dating apps are no more than a digital talent show where only a small minority ever gets noticed? That feeling or perception has fueled numerous, even heated debates online, and if research findings are to be believed (which we do), then that feeling can hardly be dismissed as just a matter of bruised egos. According to researchers, the reason dating apps feel like the proverbial jungle where only the strong survives is rooted in the economics of two-sided marketplaces, where limited attention, algorithmic ranking, and highly selective behavior combine to create an uneven playing field. In other words, dating apps do not actively hide average men. The “hiding” is chiefly thanks to the interaction between user behavior and platform design, an interaction that inadvertently prioritizes, spotlights, elevates, and concentrates visibility among a relatively small share of profiles. The result is that m...
