Dating apps, which have been losing users in droves, are now attempting to inject community into their platforms as younger generations increasingly swear off technology. Hinge on Wednesday announced that friends and family of its users will be able to add commentary to profiles, in an attempt to “help potential matches see your full self,” the company said. Tinder and Bumble, meanwhile, have started organizing in-person meetups for daters.
Tech’s ambition is to work so well that it fades into the background of our day-to-day, but removing friction in some of the most personal aspects of life may not actually improve an experience — as the dating apps are showing us now. In entertainment, things have come full circle as well: Platforms that originally threatened to upend how we watch television have drifted back towards live programming, ads, and week-long breaks between new episodes. Corporate managers are demanding real attention rather than AI notetakers in meetings, and professors are turning from online exams to in-person tests. If past cycles have shown us anything, it’s that some friction is worth keeping.