Left-Right Game

Capitalism breeds innovation. Monetary incentive drives our favorite companies to churn out only the best of the best. Theoretically, everything you have now is the best version of what came before: your car, your clothes, even the phone in your hand. None of that would’ve been possible without the heroes profiting off our needs. 

Creation inspired by profit has brought solutions to every one of life’s intricate challenges. Including the issue of human connection. Just as it’s convenient to order food on your phone, you can get that same instant gratification by popping into a dating app. Tinder, Bumble, Hinge, take your pick. They’re bound to deliver a fix for those late night cravings.

Stock image of a person reading from their smartphone before bedtime.| People/Getty Images

I imagine such an experience could be likened to the familiarity of most major apps we enjoy day-to-day. You see something that excites you, check it out and throw it away. Left, right, left, right. Scrolling occasionally stopped by “WYD” warriors and the torture of small talk. For every inconvenience we might suffer, some new technology has been invented that splits our attention spans. There’s a product for every problem and an app for every emotion. 

Algorithms keep us glued to our phones like the sugars that poison our shelves. Similar to the once innocent foods tainted by profit incentives, slowly our simplest pleasures are being lost to gaps in the market. This monetization of human connection makes a place for the cracks in our society to thrive. Entire groups of people are deemed “undesirable” by an algorithm thanks to the biases ruling humankind. In contrast to the countless studies done on social media’s impact on users, there’s very little research about dating apps and their impact on the human psyche. One study pointed to increased dating app usage leading to more stress and anxiety. On the other hand, another study found that positive experiences on the apps lead to more positive self-image.

The ID verification process by Tinder | Gadgets 360

Every once in a while it’s okay to be bored. It’s okay to watch paint dry, to feel the pain of waiting for life to happen. It’s part of being human. Patience might be the price of fulfilling experiences, but being immersed in the world around you is what's lost if you only take shortcuts. 

My motto is moderation, we are not machines. There are nights where the $30 doordash is worth more than the 30 minutes in the kitchen. Every experience shouldn’t be expedited, but a cheat day is okay. In some ways this life has been manufactured to keep our best joys just out of reach. Besides, the technology is there, we’re still within our rights to use it. 

Strike Out,

Moriah Higgs

Miami

Moriah Higgs is a senior at Florida International University majoring in Public Relations, Advertising and Applied Communications. Often her pieces reflect her personal interest in pop-culture, the complexities of modern life, and love for evaluating Western society. You can find some of her previous work in Strike Miami’s Print Issue’s 9 & 10. Her self-expression also takes the form of fine art via painting and drawing. When she’s not writing, she’s on the field with the FIU Women’s Rugby team or spending her free time with friends and loved ones.

References:

Stevic, A., Lee, A. Y., Liu, S. X., & Hancock, J. (2025). Of Loving and Losing: The Influence of Dating App Motivations and Perceived Success on Psychological Well-Being. Social Media + Society, 11(2).

Edited by Alexander Polo