Dr. Wendy Walsh, Gen Z Off Dating Apps
Author(s): Scott Douglas Jacobsen
Publication (Outlet/Website): The Good Men Project
Publication Date (yyyy/mm/dd): 2024/12/21
Known as America’s Relationship Expert, Dr. Wendy Walsh is an award-winning television journalist, radio host & podcaster, and the author of three books on relationships and thousands of print and digital articles. More than 1.5 million people follow her sage advice on social media. She holds a Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology and teaches in the Psychology Department at California State University Channel Islands and has been the host of “The Dr. Wendy Walsh Show” on iHeart Radio’s KFI AM 640 since 2015. Walsh is also a former Emmy-nominated co-host of “The Doctors,” as well as former host of the nationally syndicated show “EXTRA.” She was named a Time Magazine Person of the Year in 2017 after speaking out about harassment at a major news network.
Scott Douglas Jacobsen: What are the main reasons 99% of Gen Z are tired of dating apps?
Dr. Wendy Walsh: They are tired of becoming victims of paradox of choice. The more choice the human brain is given the less likely they are to make a choice, and when they do make a choice, they are less likely to value that choice. They get stuck scrolling instead of dating.
Jacobsen: How have dating apps failed to meet the expectations of Gen Z?
Walsh: Few of them left their phones to go on an actual date!! Besides paradox of choice, there’s another psychological phenomenon that happens with dating apps. People message a number of potential mates and become satisfied by the texts themselves. Messaging with a number of people at the same time create a combined emotional satiation, that for many is enough. They lose the desire to go out on a date. I call it dating apathy!
Jacobsen: Why are nearly 40% of Gen Z women using dating apps more as a casual pastime?
Walsh: As mentioned, paradox of choice and emotional satiation with texts. Dating apps are not designed to find you a mate. They would lose all their customers if people were actually finding mates and leaving the app. The gamification of mate selection makes people addicted to the app Instead of romance.
Jacobsen: How prevalent is the issue of fake profiles?
Walsh: Fake profiles are very prevalent, as are married people pretending to be single, and pure romance scammers, out for money. However, they most likely target, older, divorcees, and widows and widows who may not be as tech savvy as Gen Z.
Jacobsen: What alternatives are people using for potential partners outside of apps?
They are using apps like LinkedIn and Instagram. Also, there’s a new trend —- wait for it —- it’s very exciting. It’s called flirting in public!!! Gen Z is finally learning how to do it.
Jacobsen: How does the pursuit of external validation through swiping impact mental health?
Walsh: Whether it’s the number of views and likes on social media, or the number of matches on a dating app, technology has created a false idea of how to calculate our own self-worth. When humans rely on this kind of validation, that can vary from day-to-day, it can play havoc with mental health, causing anxiety and depression.
Jacobsen: How do the dating app experiences of Gen Z men and women differ?
Walsh: Men and women use dating apps very differently. Men essentially swipe right on every single woman to see who likes them. Women take time to scrutinize profiles, examining photographs, reading into the words they wrote. Women are far more selective.
Jacobsen: What are likely the future of dating apps?
Walsh: The dating apps that will be most successful will be the ones that help people get into the real world very quickly. They may be dating apps that provide fewer matches to prevent paradox of choice. They may include video conferencing, or group dating in the real world. They also will eventually have to provide identity verification, and background checks. In the past, they’ve refrained from doing that because they felt it made them more liable. But they’re going to have to protect users more.
Jacobsen: Thank you for the opportunity and your time, Dr. Walsh.
Source: Dr Wendy Walsh
Attribution: https://www.datingadvice.com/
More about Wendy: https://www.datingadvice.com/about-us/wendyw
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