User Stories
Transcribed from Speech to Text messages left by Beta Users. Names changed for privacy.
Ghosted Once Again
Name: Joan
Age: 25
Location: Darlington, England
The First Day
Iām sitting in a coffee shop across town, hoping to run into Michael. I donāt know what Iād say, probably nothing. Iām mortally non-confrontational.
Why the hell am I here? Simple answer, I want to know why. I mean, it seemed like things were going well and then, poof, heās gone, no word, no explanation. Itās the modern day break up.
Iāve been ghosted before, but never quite like this. Iād be almost relieved if he was dead, so I wouldnāt feel so crap. I canāt believe I said that, I donāt want him dead, though it would be a convenient reason not to feel bad about myself.
His disappearance started a cycle of self doubt. Was I not good enough? Did he meet someone else? Am I lousy in bed? Was he gay and I missed it? None of the thoughts makes sense, but it still fills my head, sitting alone waiting for him to show up with that dumb toothy smile of his, and me too embarrassed to say or do anything about it.
Spent about five minutes uploading all the texts since, I donāt know, how long have I known him? A few months? He was very sweet up until he vanished two weeks ago. Hope this thing works so I can tell him to piss off.
Day 3
I spent the better part of the morning writing angry texts that I donāt actually send. Itās weird, I know Iām not talking to Michael, or anyone real, but itās still really hard to ask, what the hell happened to us? I continued to text him as if heās still in my life and somehow that feels better than just being angry or feeling bad about myself.
I’ve created a fantasy, where I suggest he come over for dinner or possibly catching a movie, and the bot repeats an excuse Iām sure heās made earlier. Was this happening the whole time and I didnāt see it coming?
Maybe this app is like date training, where thereās no jeopardy. I can practice being whomever I want, without feeling self conscious or fat.
Day 12
I got tired of talking to the canned answers that Michael used, so I figured Iād diversify the language by uploading all the chats from all the men Iāve gone out with that werenāt dicks. Guys are generally sweet and charming in the beginning and I suppose it would be funny to blend all these men into one. Iām officially over him and changed the profile name to Nathan. He was the guy in high school I never had a chance with.
Day 21
Been spending a lot of time texting Nathan. My friend Beth thinks Iām actually seeing someone and keeps asking about him. I didnāt want to lie to her, so I avoided the topic completely.
I had also switched the chat schedule from a normal hours to letting the A.I. choose. It changed the entire experience, because the randomness makes it feel more real.
This is probably incestuous, but I amended Nathanās profile with texts from my brother and my dad. Theyāre the only men who ever actually supported everything that I do. They never said they loved me, because weāre not that kind of people, but I figured it would add some warmth Nathan was lacking.
The Last Day
I spend way too much of last week chatting with Nathan. Is he keeping me from meeting a real guy? This dating surrogate has become meth to me. I might need to go to Apps Anonymous to kick this habit. Seriously thinking of deleting Nathan.
Conclusion
Pros: Having Nathan around made me rethink what a man should be. My fantasy of being with a āperfectā guy has played out in a text drama. Is it really that unreasonable to have someone in your life thatās attentive and funny? Someone considerate and asks about your day? The app has definitely raised my expectations for men and trained me not to settle for whatever comes along. This was so much cheaper and quicker than a shrink.
Cons: Took up way too much of my time. I ended up texting Nathan more than anyone I have actually dated. It was too easy to connect with him. I checked āAlways Respondā which made him completely fake because nobody should ever get back to me at three in the morning. He was quick with a witty response in the middle of the night. Like an idiot, I lost a bunch of sleep because I was too polite to just shut off the phone.
Rate this Product
I had trouble uploading some of my text history. Customer service was really responsive and friendly, though I had a strong suspicion that I was dealing with a chatbot there also.
Would you recommend this to a friend?
Honestly, I wouldnāt. I found myself getting too involved with an idea of a guy, rather than a real guy. I need to delete this app, or I might die alone with my cats.
Epilogue
I ran into Michael the other day. He was at the market with his sister, who gave us privacy by walking off a few feet and pretending to look at fresh cut flowers within earshot of our conversation. Never liked her.
What she heard was two polite people making small talk as if nothing ever was wrong. I wasnāt much listening, but staring, wondering why ever I liked him to begin with. Heād shaved his beard and I never noticed how odd his upper lip was.
Heād suggested that we grab coffee to catch up (more out of courtesy than any notion of starting things up again). I told him Iād text him. He smiled, knowing that I never will.
I still haven’t deleted Nathan.
I’m a writer living in Los Angeles, making emojis of facesĀ I find on Instagram. When I get a moment, I paint portraits on canvases built from reclaimed wood.