That was the case for Marilyn Espitia, a 31-yearold 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’s still a “hopeless romantic” who plans to keep using these platforms — primarily Hinge — Espitia says she’ll get off an app or pause her profile when it becomes a little too much.
“It starts getting overwhelming,” 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’s due in part because success is never promised with online dating, regardless of whether you’re looking for a lifelong partner or casual fling.
“It’s a very difficult process for people because you invest a lot, then you receive little,” said Saad, founder and CEO of Madison Park Psychological Services in New York. “It triggers a lot of hopelessness and a lot of self-esteem issues.”
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 desktopdominant platforms like eHarmony or Match. com as well.
But these days, burnout may be intensified by the fact there’s an app for just about every part of our daily lives, and that constant connectivity can be too much. Pandemic-era “Zoom fatigue” has spilled over into other areas of tech consumption, Coduto said, and online dating isn’t immune.
That doesn’t mean dating apps are going away anytime soon. Research shows usage has remained relatively stable over recent years.
This story is from the July 05, 2024 edition of AppleMagazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the July 05, 2024 edition of AppleMagazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
AUSTRALIA SHOULD DELAY SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16, BIG TECH SAYS
An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament.
APPLE AND GOOGLE FACE UK INVESTIGATION INTO MOBILE BROWSER DOMINANCE
Apple and Google aren’t giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RETIREMENT INCOME: FROM SAVING TO SPENDING
The narrative of a miserly, Scrooge-like figure hoarding his wealth for years instead of enjoying his retirement might seem unbelievable—but unfortunately, it isn’t relegated only to fiction. It’s a cold reality for many retirees.
'BUY NOW, PAY LATER' IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER. IT CAN COST MORE THAN YOU THINK
More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt.
DIRECTV CALLS OFF ACQUISITION OF RIVAL DISH.POSSIBLY ENDING A YEARSLONG PURSUIT
DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.
IS 'GLICKED' THE NEW 'BARBENHEIMER'? 'WICKED' AND 'GLADIATOR II' COLLIDE IN THEATERS
“Barbenheimer” was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn’t stopped people from trying to make “Glicked” — or even “Babyratu” — happen.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROPOSED MEASURES DESIGNED TO CURB GOOGLE'S SEARCH MONOPOLY
U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.
ELECTRIC CAR SALES ARE SLOWING IN THE US AND EUROPE AS BOTH FANS AND SKEPTICS SHARE CONCERNS
While sales of electric vehicles surge in China, adoption of more environmentally friendly vehicles is stumbling in the United States and Europe as carmakers and governments struggle to meet years-old promises about affordability and charging stations.
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR SPOTIFY WRAPPED.WHEN CAN YOU EXPECT YOUR 2024 RECAP?
It’s almost that time of year: Spotify is gearing up to release its annual Wrapped, personalized recaps of users’ listening habits and year in audio.
RANSOMWARE ATTACK ON SOFTWARE SUPPLIER DISRUPTS OPERATIONS FOR STARBUCKS AND OTHER RETAILERS
A ransomware attack that hit a major software provider last week caused disruptions for a handful of companies over recent days, from Starbucks to U.K. grocery giant Morrisons.
