Tinder exists to keep you using Tinder

Summary: Tinder's objective is to keep you using Tinder.

Body: App developers love their "user engagement" metrics, which is a fancy way of saying "how addicted their users are". For dating apps, success for a user means not needing the app any more, which means that their goals are not your goals. OKCupid used to have an article called why you should never pay for online dating, which was quietly removed after they sold to match.com (thankfully the wayback machine sees all, and it's been archived).

Tinder does not exist to help you meet hot girls, Tinder exists to keep you using Tinder.

If you've worn a groove into your screen from swiping, and in particular if you've run it out to "there's no-one new around you", Tinder knows that you're hooked. If you're hooked and keep checking back on an empty queue, they have no incentive to show you anyone you might match. You're right where they want you, checking back and looking at ads (or even paying for boosts/super-likes/gold) but not getting anything in return. That's the best damn deal in the universe! They don't want to change that, and keeping a hooked user doesn't take much: dangle a like or two in front of a chump (even if from a landwhale) and he'll keep checking back.

Similarly for messaging: Paused users will show up in your matches, and you can message them, but of course they'll never reply. If they ever reactivate, they'll match newer guys and not bother talking to you. Why would Tinder bother showing you girls that reply, if you're "engaged" and happily messaging ones that won't?

These apps are useful, but remember that their goals are not your goals.

Lessons Learned:

• Use Tinder in short bursts, so they need to show you better chicks to keep you coming back.
• Delete your account and wait a month if you've told their systems that you're a chump.
• Move girls off Tinder's messaging ASAP so you aren't messaging the void.
• Learn some IRL game so Tinder isn't your only option.