Bored ghosts in the dating app assemblage: How dating app algorithms couple ghosting behaviors with a mood of boredom

Abstract

ABSTRACT Research on ghosting has focused on individual user experiences, psychological dispositions, and attachment styles. We add to this scholarship by broadening the level of analysis to encompass what we call the “dating app assemblage” – entailing users, moods, and algorithms. Through in-depth interviews and the “walkthrough” method, we argue the dating app assemblages of Tinder and Bumble foster boring textual exchanges conducive to ghosting (cutting off communication without notice) and flaking (canceling dates at the last minute) by algorithmically creating unequal engagement. This makes it hard for users to find substantial relationships, but it aligns with the exigencies of data-driven capitalism, where more social relations can be sold when they often disappear.