The pitfalls of gamified dating apps are more reviled than ever: the ghosting, the overly curated profiles, being left feeling disposable and the endless added costs for features that fail to deliver.
A Forbes’ survey of 5,000 Americans found that 80% of Millennials and 79% of Gen-Z feel burned out by dating apps — blaming the lack of good connections, repetitive conversations and too much time spent swiping.
In the UK, communications-industry regulator Ofcom reported a decline in the popularity of the three most popular apps in 2024; Tinder dropped 594,000 users, while Hinge lost 131,000 and Bumble lost 368,000.
After years of dating apps reigning supreme, in real-life (IRL) singles events are slowly replacing swipes and filters with activities, taking pressure off the end goal.
For those who love the chase … and chicken?
