Dating apps in decline: What’s our better alternative?

The sun appears to be setting on the dating app era, and culture is on a mission to re-codify love, but what will we find in the aftermath?

Amidst our hyper-digital age, the tide appears to be turning on the reign of online dating. Despite radically changing the art of modern romance after exploding onto the scene in the early 2010s, today apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble are all reporting a steady decline in users. What was branded as an efficient way to connect people sold a promise of dating minus the mess. However, ten years on, people have cottoned onto the reality that online dating carries its own set of messes and mishaps. Those leaving the apps are citing the ways in which these platforms prey on insecurity and cause ‘swipe fatigue’ by overwhelming users with choice.

This decline in popularity is only set to continue. Youth research agency Savanta found over 90% of Gen Z (those born between 1997 and 2012) feel frustrated with dating apps. So young adults are returning to a desire to build in-person romantic connections. But as we gradually approach this new post-app era, what will the new rules for romance be?