Warning
Warning: Long review!
Recently, I have been looking at various work-from-home jobs. I found one that seemed suitable for me and submitted an application.
First, I received an email asking me to confirm that I was a real person. That seemed reasonable. Then they asked whether I was comfortable writing in Norwegian Bokmål. Yes—as long as I wasn’t expected to write an entire novel, that would be fine.
But then came the email that made my jaw drop.
The job involved replying to messages on an online flirting platform. As I understood it, I would be writing on behalf of fake dating profiles and keeping conversations going with people who believed they were talking to someone they might develop a real relationship with.
So I had to confirm that I was a real person—only to be offered a job pretending to be someone else.
Is this really something we want to accept? Companies making money from people who long for connection, affection and love?
Behind every message is a human being. Perhaps someone who has been alone for a long time. Perhaps someone who finally feels a little hope of being noticed and appreciated. I find it upsetting to think that the person on the other end could be a paid operator playing a role.
The figures I have found suggest a major change in how we live. In 1930, around 10% of Norwegian households consisted of one person. At the 1960 census, only around 4% of the population lived alone.
In 2026, more than 1.1 million people live alone in Norway. That is approximately 20% of the population, while around 41% of all private households consist of just one person.
I have also seen figures suggesting that around 50–51% of adults in Sweden and Denmark are single, followed by Germany at 48% and Norway at 47%. Figures quoted for European countries put the proportion of one-person households between 30% and 45%. I have not verified these European figures, and they use different measures, so they should be treated with caution.
Being single, living alone and feeling lonely are different things. But for those who miss having someone to share their lives with, the hope of a genuine relationship can mean a great deal.
I am not claiming that all dating services operate this way. But what was presented to me as a job left me feeling both angry and sad.
We talk a lot about loneliness and the importance of helping people connect. We should also talk about businesses that make money by giving people hope they have no intention of fulfilling.
Is this really how we want things to be?