Writing for Psychology Today, Dr Liu explains that the thousands of dating apps on offer have capitalised on dating becoming an “addictive game”.

And it’s true, when we’re spending a lazy Sunday swiping through all the potential partners within a five mile radius, does it not sometimes feel more like an entertaining distraction than a serious quest to meet someone?

“Swiping right is the ultimate mating dance, and the instantaneous “match” symbol triggers the release of a cascade of neurotransmitters, including a flood of dopamine, a powerful reward agent that underlies many addictive behaviours,” Dr Liu writes.

Because of this, matching becomes not just a boredom-busting ritual, but a fun ego boost, too.

“The gamification of dating apps transforms the act of swiping into a highly rewarded activity similar to slot machines, where winning (aka matching) takes place at random intervals that would in turn act as a powerful reinforcement that leaves us craving more,” Dr Liu continues.

“Whereas the purpose of dating used to be finding partners to build deeper connections,” she says, we’re increasingly becoming removed from the actual consequences of the action. In our meaningless swiping, we’re detaching ourselves from the possibility of something greater emerging.

How the gamification of online dating could actually be hurting our chances of finding love