When success loses the customer: Retention, blame and market selection on dating platforms

A dating service that works loses its customers. Economists, users and the companiesthemselves all state this conflict of interest, yet it is not corrected. This paper asks why. Itstates the condition of a user that is optimal for a platform paid by those still looking: theuser feels attraction and cannot decide on one partner. It describes how display, volume andpayment hold users in that condition and turn it into revenue, with payment falling on thosewho cannot match. Dissatisfaction goes to other users, to oneself or to romance, becausenothing in the design fails or deceives and users are not shown what the platform does.Market selection does not operate, because users, advisers and operators all judge by whatis displayed, and measures of retention rise as the service fails its customers. Designconditions that would serve users are set out.