They used to make little or no sense to me - but I`ve since grown up.
I still can`t understand dropping huge amounts of money into them, or going every other night and using up the life savings... Or those who get TOO into it and try to seriously start a real relationship with hostess/host.
Otherwise, it`s like play dating.
You can flirt, pretend to be a girlfriend/boyfriend for a day with no strings attached, no repercussions, and no rejections. Then go home and back to reality. No worries about having cheated, no concern about having to follow up, etc.
I have higher priorities than that sort of fun so wouldn`t waste the money on it. But on the other hand it`s not at all hard for me to understand the appeal.