Such an interesting conversation! When I was younger an single and going to university in a big city I definitely fell into the "sexual marketplace" trap as @cameri mentioned above - there was a point I didn't swipe right on anyone who wasn't [insert insanely unrealistic physical requirement here] and my self worth was ~completely~ entangled with the perceived ~caliber~ of man I could get a date with.
I think it's a phase, and while I don't think it's necessarily detrimental to anyone's wellbeing in the long run, I do know for sure that it takes a fair share of deprogramming and personal growth to get out of thinking that way.
Technology (i.e. dating apps) and subsequently culture (specifically hookup culture) is changing so much faster than our psychology evolves to keep up.
I think hookup culture itself is neutral, but the apps definitely encourage unhealthy mindsets. Some people are immune I think, but not me in my 20s, and not the majority of young people. If you think about it, until now, having so many options for dates at your fingertips wasn't "natural". Now it's a part of reality, and we have to learn how to navigate it in a healthy way and think about dating differently. We haven't unlocked it yet!
👆All of this. I never was much for app dating, but I had friends that used it and I can see how the gamification of dating can be psychologically harmful. I do think it’s hard to come to a point in our lives (no matter the technology) where we are able to look for value in people that isn’t highly skewed by what society tells us is valuable (appearances being one of the main ones). For me, the journey of unlearning that is as much for loving myself as it is for enabling me to love someone else successfully.
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