Anastasia Antoniou criticises Hinge’s new supposedly ‘ethical’ update and its attempt to market itself as different from other dating apps
The dating app Hinge, long celebrated for its Gen-Z focused appeal and promise to help users find love, as an app that is ‘designed to be deleted’, has introduced a new update. The update pushed a solution to “dating burnout,” by limiting the number of people users can message simultaneously, allegedly encouraging more meaningful connections.
While Hinge’s intentions might seem like a step toward combating the negative mental health impacts of online dating, the reality is not as rosy. Dating apps like Hinge remain firmly rooted in addictive design practices that prioritize profit over user well-being, leaving us with the question: Are dating apps truly changing for the better, or are they just repackaging the same old tactics?
Hinge’s new messaging limit is marketed as a revolutionary step to combat dating fatigue. The idea is that the app can restrict the number of simultaneous conversations, aiming to force users to focus on fewer connections at a time in hopes of genuinely connecting users, instead of shallowly ‘collecting’ matches.
Unfortunately, Hinge’s update does little to combat what psychologists call the “paradox of choice.” Users are still very much presented with an infinite pool of potential matches, which can be both anxiety-inducing and demoralizing. The new feature shifts user behaviour from mass messaging to more selective engagement but doesn’t resolve the main problem of all dating apps; the gamified structure working to keep users hooked, as they constantly seek validation through likes, comments, and matches.
“Hinge’s update does little to combat what psychologists call the “paradox of choice.”
Dating apps like Hinge, Tinder, and Bumble share a common trait with gambling: they’re designed to encourage addictive behaviours. As Siân Boyle discusses in The Guardian, these platforms use psychological principles like intermittent reinforcement, rewarding users unpredictably with matches and messages to create a compulsive cycle of swiping and seeking validation. Features like infinite scroll and constant notifications keep users engaged for longer, yet often leaving them feeling unfulfilled. Even Hinge, with its curated profiles, unique prompts and focus on serious connections, still relies on users remaining engaged for as long as possible—hardly the guarantee of a platform “designed to be deleted.”
This addiction comes at a cost. A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found 30% of users felt burned out, whilst 41% said the apps made them feel worse about themselves. The endless evaluation of matches based on looks or brief text snippets damages self-esteem, and the fear of missing out (FOMO) only amplifies the pressure. As Enrique Alpañés explains for ‘El Pais’, the gamification of love traps users in a cycle of chasing the “next best” match instead of encouraging meaningful connections.
Hinge’s update, marketed as a more ethical alternative to Tinder’s swiping model, feels more like a marketing approach than a true effort to improve mental health outcomes. Genuine ethical reform in dating app design would require features like time limits and less algorithmic manipulation; changes that conflict with the profit-driven goals of companies like Match Group.
“Even more alarming is the emergence of AI-driven features in dating apps
A lawsuit filed against Match Group, the parent company of Hinge, Tinder, and OkCupid, accuses the company of intentionally employing predatory business models to maximize user engagement and revenue. According to the lawsuit, dating platforms exploit their users’ frustrations with features like ‘freemium models’, where paid boosts and subscriptions are necessary to improve visibility or access matches.
Even more alarming is the emergence of AI-driven features in dating apps, which promise to “personalize” the dating experience. While these advancements might improve match compatibility, they actually raise concerns about increased data harvesting and deeper emotional manipulation. AI tools could make apps even more addictive by predicting user behaviour and tailoring interactions to maximize engagement.
“raise concerns about increased data harvesting and deeper emotional manipulation
Despite claims of innovation, dating apps remain fundamentally the same: platforms built to exploit our vulnerabilities, sustain addictive loops, and prioritize profit over authentic connection. Hinge’s latest updates might momentarily soothe users’ frustrations, but they dodge the deeper issues that cause concerns within the industry—issues these platforms have no real incentive to fix.
In my view, the question isn’t about whether Hinge is “better” than Tinder—it isn’t—but whether dating apps as a whole are even capable of prioritizing well-being over their bottom line. And as it stands, they’re not.
These platforms thrive on dissatisfaction and user-dependence, presenting every tweak or update as “progress” while doubling down on the same manipulative designs that keep users endlessly burning out. The truth is, dating apps aren’t evolving to make us happier; they’re just getting better at convincing us they care. For me, the choice is clear: disengage from anything that is not created to better you as a person or offer you a genuine chance of connection.
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