Isn’t the entire point of the profile and matching system to filter incompatible people out? Why can I match with 50 people and not a single one wants to get a coffee or something after exchanging a few pleasantries? Everybody hates these things and yet they refuse to do anything IRL to get off them. Is there some Manchurian candidate activation codeword that I’m missing? I feel like everyone treats this shit solely as an ego booster and actually gets pissed off that anyone tries to interact with them. How do you meet people in hellworld if you don’t drink?

Me after dozens of dead-end back-and-forths that lead to nowhere despite having shared interests and presumably being attracted to each other since we matched: marx-joker

Hmm, maybe it’s the extreme commodification of relationships and atomization under capitalism that prevents you from getting anywhere with this garbage thinkin-lenin

Nope, must be because @[email protected] didn’t say my favorite “The Office” quote and send me a playlist with 50 of the greatest songs I’ve never heard that made me instantly fall in love with them. I have no idea what other people expect from these things but I’m not doing labor for someone that I don’t even know is real. Thanks for reading my rant, any advice is appreciated.

  • stigsbandit34z [they/them]@hexbear.net
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    1 year ago

    if you’re male-presenting you are expected to initiate and prove your worth

    Only true if you match with someone who sees dating as a market and not a potential experience to get to know a human. During my time on the apps, I’ve never really initiated and have still found myself in relationships

    • Phish [he/him, any]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      This is true. In my experience, there are more people who see it as a market than a chance to get to know somebody. I think there is a lot of middle ground as well where people say “I might as well go on a date and see how it goes” but don’t really put the effort in because they know there’s a whole app of people waiting that could potentially offer a better match.

      It’s a kind of choice paralysis. I think the apps are designed that way. Obviously their goal is to keep people on the app and either paying subscriptions or viewing ads. They don’t want you to leave.

      No matter how interesting and attractive you find someone on there, there’s always the chance that you can do “better”.

    • AlpineSteakHouse [any]@hexbear.net
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      1 year ago

      Only true if you match with someone who sees dating as a market and not a potential experience to get to know a human.

      It’s certainly not a conscious decision, granted, but dating and social interactions in general are largely a market. Even if you’re unaware of the unconscious calculations your brain makes, it doesn’t mean they go away. You have to have an interest in someone before you want to get to know them. That interest is largely based off of unconscious social cues. In the same way you don’t make the conscious decision to be angry, you don’t make the conscious decision to have interest in someone.

      During my time on the apps, I’ve never really initiated and have still found myself in relationships

      This seems to run counter to the vast majority of the other male-presenting people on hexbear and in-general. You could be lucky, but I’d wager you’re either more attractive or more adept at navigating social situations than the average person.