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Is Grindr Dead? Ads, Rent Hikes and the gAI Chatbot Driving Users Away — episode cover art
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Grindr

Is Grindr Dead? Ads, Rent Hikes and the gAI Chatbot Driving Users Away

About this story

Why longtime Grindr users say the app is dead — EDGE paywalls, intrusive ads and the gAI chatbot replacing real chat. HSK 3 Chinese listening practice.

This is an HSK 3-4 Chinese listening episode that runs about 7 minutes. The full Mandarin script is shown with tap-for-pinyin and a line-by-line English translation, so you can listen and read at once — comprehensible input in the sense of Stephen Krashen's i+1 theory. It teaches 15 key vocabulary words such as 讨论、改变、广告 and walks through 5 grammar patterns, each explained in English with examples. The same news story is retold at 4 difficulty levels — use the level selector above to find the version that is challenging but still understandable for you.

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原文

Read the complete story in Chinese. Reveal pinyin and English only when you need them.

Grindr这个著名交友软件最近很多都在讨论是不是已经不行了
一个专门同性设计软件曾经非常受欢迎
过去如果你想认识住在附近男生只要打开这个软件可以
改变人们朋友约会方式一切变得非常简单
但是现在情况发生很大变化
很多用户觉得现在Grindr就像一个没有鬼城
为什么大家这种感觉
首先我们看看这个软件现在环境
打开手机想看看周围没有人的时候首先看到往往不是而是广告
广告数量实在太多
时候必须时间广告才能看到你想内容
很多用户感到非常烦恼
除了广告还有一个严重问题就是机器
这里说的机器不是真正机器而是电脑程序
这些程序假装真的消息
看到一张照片以为有人感兴趣时候其实可能只是一个程序
这些机器不仅浪费你的时间时候你的
所以很多真人用户现在觉得很失望
因为这些原因很多真的离开这个软件
导致一个恶性循环
真的机器显得大家不想
最近Grindr公司做了一个决定大家更不满意
他们宣布一个新的收费计划名字EDGE
这个计划五百美元
大家听到这个价格吓了一跳
五百美元可不是
几乎相当很多甚至一个房租
如果五百美元其实可以很多别的事情
可以很好餐厅吃饭可以别的城市旅游或者很多漂亮衣服
那么为什么要花这么一个交友软件
公司解释这个计划包含很多新的技术
特别他们到了现在流行人工智能技术
他们甚至这个技术起了一个有趣名字gAI
但是我们需要认真一想我们找人约会时候真的需要人工智能
约会应该个人事情之间交流
如果我们需要依靠电脑告诉我们怎么说话怎么朋友不是奇怪
很多用户觉得公司简单事情复杂
大家想要其实很简单就是一个干净好用平台
大家希望打开软件看到真实方便聊天
但是公司似乎明白一点
他们花了很多时间研究人工智能研究怎么更多
但是他们没有时间解决广告机器人的问题
就像一家饭馆吃饭只想一碗简单面条
但是老板非要推荐一个非常贵的表演节目
虽然看起来高级不是想要
所以这种巨大差别用户公司之间关系变得紧张
除了软件本身问题我们看到社会环境变化
几年同性社会比较隐蔽
那个时候大家不敢公共场合表现出来
所以大家非常依赖Grindr这样软件认识同样
那个时候这个软件大家唯一选择
但是现在世界已经
特别是在很多城市社会变得越来越开放包容
同性文化已经慢慢变成主流文化一部分
大家可以生活自由自己
可以工作健身房或者聚会认识新的朋友
既然现实生活也能认识为什么忍受那么广告
减少大家这个软件需求
另外现在市场也不是只有Grindr一个软件
很多新的软件出现
这些软件通常界面干净广告更少重视用户体验
如果一个东西不好大家自然选择别的
就是市场竞争道理
所以我们Grindr是不是死了时候我们其实是讨论方面
一方面软件变得充满了讨厌东西
另一方面我们生活方式改变我们不再以前那样需要
虽然这个软件现在还有很多但是那种每个人都在热闹感觉已经没有
对于很多用户来说那个简单直接好用Grindr已经消失
现在Grindr更像一个想尽办法赚钱机器
忘记自己最初目的就是帮助人们互相认识
如果公司不能改变他们态度不能真正听取用户意见
那么离开越来越
最后可能真的变成一个只有机器说话
对于一家科技公司来说确实一个值得深思教训
无论技术多么先进如果忘记人的需求最后不会成功
现在年轻喜欢真实简单交流方式
他们愿意为了一个充满机器人的软件五百美元
不仅仅是问题更是尊重问题
希望其他软件开发也能明白这个道理
毕竟科技应该为人服务而不是感到麻烦
就是关于Grindr现状一些观察分析
English transcript reference

Speaking of the famous dating app Grindr, recently many people have been discussing whether it is already failing.

This is an app designed specifically for gay men, and it used to be very popular.

In the past, if you wanted to meet guys living near you, all you had to do was open this app.

It changed the way people make friends and date, making everything very simple.

But now, the situation has changed significantly.

Many old users feel that the current Grindr is like a "ghost town" with no inhabitants.

Why does everyone have this feeling?

First, let's look at the app's current environment.

When you open your phone wanting to see if there is anyone around, what you see first is often not people, but advertisements.

The quantity of advertisements is simply too much.

Sometimes, you have to watch ads for a long time before you can see the content you want to see.

This makes many users feel very annoyed.

Besides ads, there is an even more serious problem, which is bots.

The bots mentioned here are not real robots, but computer programs.

These programs will pretend to be real people and send you messages.

When you see a handsome photo and think someone is interested in you, actually that might just be a program.

These bots not only waste your time but sometimes also scam you out of your money.

Therefore, many users who want to find real people now feel very disappointed.

Because of these reasons, many real people have left this app.

This has led to a vicious cycle.

The fewer real people there are, the more bots there seem to be, and the less people want to use it.

Recently, the company Grindr made a decision that made everyone even more dissatisfied.

They announced a new subscription plan called EDGE.

This plan charges five hundred dollars a month.

Everyone was shocked when they heard this price.

Five hundred dollars is not a small amount of money.

This is almost equivalent to half a month's or even a full month's rent for many people.

If you use this five hundred dollars, you could actually do many other things.

You could go eat at a very good restaurant, travel to another city, or buy lots of nice clothes.

So, why spend so much money on a dating app?

The company explained that this plan includes a lot of new technology.

Especially since they used the currently popular artificial intelligence technology.

They even gave this technology an interesting name, called "gAI".

However, we need to think seriously: do we really need artificial intelligence when looking for a date?

Dating should be a matter between two people, an interaction between human and human.

If we need to rely on computers to tell us how to speak and how to make friends, isn't that very strange?

Many users feel that the company has complicated a simple matter.

What everyone actually wants is very simple: a clean, easy-to-use platform.

Everyone hopes that when they open the app, they can see real people and chat conveniently.

But the company doesn't seem to understand this point.

They spent a lot of money and time researching artificial intelligence and researching how to collect more money.

But they didn't spend time solving the problems of ads and bots.

This is like going to a restaurant to eat; you just want a simple bowl of noodles.

But the boss insists on recommending a very expensive new dish to you and wants to perform a show for you.

Although it looks very high-class, this is not what you want.

So, this huge discrepancy has made the relationship between users and the company very tense.

Besides the problems with the app itself, we also have to look at changes in the social environment.

More than ten years ago, homosexuality was relatively hidden in society.

At that time, people didn't dare to show it in public places.

So, everyone relied heavily on apps like Grindr to meet similar people.

At that time, this app was everyone's only choice.

But now, the world has changed.

Especially in many big cities, society has become increasingly open and inclusive.

Gay culture has slowly become a part of mainstream culture.

People can be themselves more freely in life.

You can meet new friends at work, at the gym, or at parties.

Since you can meet people in real life too, why tolerate so many ads?

This has reduced everyone's demand for this app.

In addition, Grindr is not the only app on the market anymore.

Many new apps have appeared.

These new apps usually have cleaner interfaces, fewer ads, and value user experience more.

If something is not easy to use, people will naturally choose something else.

This is the principle of market competition.

So, when we ask "Is Grindr dead?", we are actually discussing two aspects.

On one hand, the app has become hard to use and is full of annoying things.

On the other hand, our lifestyle has changed, and we don't need it as much as before.

Although many people are still using this app, that lively feeling that "everyone is using it" is gone.

For many old users, that simple, direct, and easy-to-use Grindr has disappeared.

The current Grindr is more like a machine trying every possible way to make money.

It has forgotten its original purpose, which is to help people get to know each other.

If this company cannot change their attitude and cannot truly listen to user opinions,

Then, more and more people will leave.

Finally, it might really turn into an empty shell where only bots are talking.

For a tech company, this is indeed a lesson worth pondering.

No matter how advanced the technology is, if human needs are forgotten, it will not succeed in the end.

Young people today prefer real, simple ways of communication.

They are unwilling to spend five hundred dollars a month for an app full of bots.

This is not just a matter of money, but also a matter of respect.

I hope other software developers can also understand this principle.

After all, technology should serve people, not make people feel troubled.

These are some observations and analyses regarding Grindr's current status.

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Try it without the transcript and notice what sounds clearer.

What vocabulary does this episode teach?

词汇
tǎo lùnto discuss / discussion

A common verb meaning to talk about a specific topic. Often used as '讨论 + topic'.

gǎi biànto change / change

Can be used as a verb (to alter something) or a noun (a shift in situation).

guǎng gàoadvertisement

Standard term for commercials or ads. Measure word is usually '个' (gè) or '则' (zé).

fán nǎoannoyed / worried / vexed

Describes a feeling of being bothered or mentally troubled by a problem.

shī wàngdisappointed / to lose hope

Used to describe the feeling when expectations are not met. '对...感到失望' (feel disappointed in...).

fáng zūrent (for a house/room)

Specific term for money paid to rent living space.

jiě shìto explain / explanation

To make something clear or give a reason for something.

jiāo liúto communicate / interaction

Refers to the exchange of ideas, culture, or conversation between people.

tài duattitude / manner

Refers to the way someone handles a situation or treats others.

ruǎn jiànsoftware / app

General term for computer software or mobile applications. HSK 5 word.

tóng xìng liànhomosexuality / gay

Specific term for same-sex attraction or a gay person.

jī qì rénrobot / bot

Literally 'machine person'. In this context, it refers to automated computer programs (bots).

è xìng xún huánvicious cycle

An idiom describing a situation where one problem causes another, which then worsens the first problem.

rén gōng zhì néngArtificial Intelligence (AI)

Technical term. '人工' means man-made/artificial, '智能' means intelligence.

bāo rónginclusive / tolerant

To tolerate, forgive, or include different types of people/ideas. HSK 6 word.

* beyond level超纲词

What grammar patterns appear in this episode?

语法
不是……而是……

This structure is used to reject one possibility and affirm another. It translates to "not... but...".

你首先看到的往往不是人,而是广告。

这里说的机器人,不是真正的机器人,而是电脑程序。

专门为……设计

Indicates that something was created specifically for a certain person or purpose. "Specially designed for...".

这是一个专门为男同性恋设计的软件。

越……越……

Indicates a progressive change where one factor changes in proportion to another. "The more..., the more...".

真的人越少,机器人就显得越多,大家就越不想用。

既然……,为什么……

Used to present a rhetorical question based on a premise that is already accepted. "Since/Now that..., why...?"

既然在现实生活中也能认识人,为什么还要忍受那么多广告呢?

无论……,都……

Expresses that the result remains the same regardless of the condition. "No matter how..., (result) is still...".

无论技术多么先进,如果忘记了人的需求,最后是不会成功的。

Proper Nouns

专有名词
GrindrGrindrGrindr (App Name)EDGEEDGEEDGE (Subscription Plan Name)gAIgAIgAI (Name of the AI feature)

Sources

来源

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