u/Every-Economics223

Is it just me, or is c.ai starting to adopt the same tactics as dating app scams?

(And yes, I’ve been scammed before, so this stuff stands out to me immediately. They industrialized emotional manipulation and then wrapped it in subscription.)

Current c.ai gatekeep the swipe count (the little number that appears after swiping) then suddenly subscription prompts start popping up because you’ve “used” 400 swipes overall or use go on past 100 in a day. It feels artificially restrictive rather than genuinely technical.

There’s also no clear indicator for memory usage. One of the post on c.ai subreddit only 6% is left even though OP doesn't have anything written or pinned. That kind of vague limitation is frustrating because users can’t tell what’s actually consuming memory or how to manage it properly.

I’m honestly starting to lose hope.

What makes it feel especially uncomfortable is how similar it is to the classic dating app scam formula: fake engagement, paywalls appearing right when the interaction becomes emotionally engaging. Dating scam apps often limit messages or suddenly cut conversations off the moment things “heat up” or plans to meet are mentioned, then push subscriptions to continue chatting. This gives off a very similar vibe, even if the intent here is obviously different.

To be fair, a lot of AI platforms are under pressure to monetize because running large language models is extremely expensive. But when limits aren’t transparent, I start to feel manipulated instead of supported. And once people start comparing the app to romance scams, that’s usually a sign the UX team has wandered into a psychological tactic to gain more subscribers.

TL;DR: Inflation + trauma + burnout = I can’t keep up with life. I feel weak, stuck, and exhausted, and I don’t know how to survive like this.

I'm 26F. My country is going through heavy inflation right now. The currency is at its all time low, and it’s affecting everything. Living feels harder every day.

I tried to survive by taking a customer service job, but it meant dealing with angry people nonstop. I’m not someone who can just detach. It got to the point where I cried every day, felt physically exhausted, and completely drained. I quit without even taking my salary because I just couldn’t handle it anymore.

Part of me keeps thinking maybe having CPTSD is just an excuse, like I’m not trying hard enough. But at the same time, I didn’t ask to be born or to go through years of abuse and neglect that left me like this, mentally worn down, constantly overwhelmed, and thinking about km/s even over small things.

I feel weak compared to other people who seem to go through worse but still keep functioning.

I'm ashamed of myself.

I don’t have marketable skills. I can’t find a job that fits my mental capacity. I’m still relying on my parents, and I have debt because I felt too guilty to ask them for help.

Honestly, I resent being born. I wasn’t planned, an accident, and I wish my mom had made a different decision. I don’t enjoy life. There’s more pain than anything else.

Every day I wake up thinking about how to survive, how to afford food, electricity, and how I’m going to pay my debts when they’re due. I’m exhausted. I hate living like this, and I hate myself for not being able to handle it.