Behind the Curtain

The Realities of Gay Dating Apps

Welcome to the Wild World of Online Matchmaking

Nathan Chen
Prism & Pen
Published in
7 min readJul 7, 2023

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Photo by cottonbro studio from Pexels

So, here’s the tea. I may be in my 30s but let me tell you, I can tap, swipe, and emoji with the best of them. I mean, who can resist the allure of such digital wizardry? But here’s the thing — as a gay man, I’ve often found that dating apps can be a bit of a mixed bag. Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not about to kick them to the curb, but let’s just say they’re not always my knight in shining… emoji?

Now, you might be thinking, ‘Oh no, not another rant about the ups and downs of modern dating.’ And I get you. I truly do. But bear with me here because I promise it’s gonna be juicy.

What’s Happening Behind the Curtain?

Behind the brightly colored logos and cheeky bios, these dating apps function as an infinite loop of possibilities. Seriously, they’re like Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory — only instead of chocolates, it’s men, and instead of Willy Wonka, it’s… algorithms? Kinda loses the magic, right?

The real tea is that these dating apps use complicated algorithms to decide who you get to meet. That’s right, it’s not just you, your stellar wit, or your impeccably chosen profile pic. It’s about statistics, trends, and probability…

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Prism & Pen
Prism & Pen

Published in Prism & Pen

Amplifying LGBTQ voices through the art of storytelling

Nathan Chen
Nathan Chen

Written by Nathan Chen

I'm Nathan Chen, a queer Asian writer advocating for LGBTQ+ issues, Asian representation, work life & mental health. Let's explore life's complexities together!