Dating Simulators
Supporting factors of the creation of dating simulators
unemployment and overwork for employed users
Changes of attitudes towards marriage, courtship and family amongst women
The goal
Either sexual intercourse or the creation of a lasting relationship with the character.
Social Impact
Unemployed
Employed
in the case of japan, after the age of 65, your value as a worker goes down and it is considered retirement age. It's difficult to compete with new workers as well. Therefore, its hard to find or maintain a job.
No one wants to marry into a family who is financially unstable. Thus unemployed users, resort to dating simulations as a method to fill that void of not being able to obtain a relationship.
high cost of living, competitive work environment & lack of employment security are some factors that cause extreme overwork for many young people in Asia's workforce
With most of their time being spend on work, there is little room in their schedule for personal time. So dating and spending time to cultivate real relationships can be seen as a challenge to fit into their hectic lifestyle. Thus, users resort to dating simulators to fulfill their needs for love as it is convenient, easily accessible on their devices and can be worked around their schedule. Furthermore, dating simulators also act as a stress relief to immerse themselves in a different world, away from the problems in their lives.
Convenience , Escapism & Gratification
Escapism
With the change of times, western ideas begin to seep into Asian culture. Many women today focus on career building and are more ambitious towards it as compared to starting a family.
Dating simulators allow for them to enjoy both sides of the world. Financial and sexual liberation while being able to experience non-committal relationships.
Convenience & Gratification
Pro-social view on technology
Technology has always been marketed to be able to solve all problems, ranging rom labour, wellness and relationships
It is seen as a way to train users in social cues and flirting so that they know how to approach certain predicaments regarding their own real life relationships.
Education
Allows user to explore sexuality in a safe space where they know that they wont get rejected or have to disclose their true identity
Social Withdrawal
Even though dating sims are able to educate on how to communicate in certain situations in relationships, nothing beats real communication.
people use dating sims as a way to escape social interaction
social anxiety
ultimately choose to live in this alternate reality of what the "Perfect Relationship" should be like instead of experiencing a real relationship that can be complex and unpredictable
Declining birth rates
You would think that dating sims would educate on social interaction, thereby solving the issue of declining birth and marriage rates. But it actually does the opposite
Instead of teaching people how to communicate and start a real life relationship, people are treating it as a substitution to their needs for love and gratification. Thereby completely removing their need for a real relationship
Distorted realities
One reason why people are unable to find "The One" is because this ideal is being shaped by unrealistic love stories that are represented in mainstream romantic media. Dating simulators are no different.
Created to help users escape into an alternate reality where love is portrayed in an unrealistic and exaggerated manner, it backfires on those who see it as education. It paints an unrealistic image of what love should be like and therefore, molding what is to be their perception and beliefs of love.
Unable to find such ideals results in them choosing to remain in the alternate reality of dating sims instead of pursuing an actual relationship.
dramatised scenes send dangerous messaging on what love is. E.g. grabbing or male protagonist forcing themselves on the player will be normalised as romantic even though they are categorised as intimate partner violence in real life.