When Tinder was first launched in September 2013, it changed the game, with its addictive gamified interface.
The Match Group, which owns Tinder, was founded in 2009. The company has an extensive portfolio of dating apps, such as Hinge and OKCupid.
The app significantly expanded the pool of potential partners while almost entirely eliminating the fear of rejection, empowering men and women alike to find what they’re looking for in the dating scene.
Dating app fatigue, so what went wrong?
The younger generations are getting burned out with dating app culture, exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, when everything went online. This has reached a peak, being coined as ‘dating app fatigue’.
A 2024 survey from the greeting card platform Thortful found that only 11% of Brits using dating apps found successful relationships.
A 2024 survey on dating from Forbes Health found that 78% of Gen Z experienced what the report called dating app burnout. Symptoms can include feeling drained, increased irritability and frustration and dating feeling like a chore.
Other issues have also led singletons to gradually become wary of the risks.
For example, scams and harassment, the increased competition and comparison, both external and internal, potential mental health issues, and the difficulty of forming meaningful bonds, as well as ghosting, among other concerns, young people are now turning to other methods to meet prospective partners.
To be single or not to be single
There is also a growing trend of young people, particularly women, choosing to be single, as social attitudes shift and damaging stereotypes, e.g, the creepy bachelor or the lonely spinster, are gradually being disregarded. Whether it’s for a shorter or longer period, it can allow for better personal development.
Other benefits of staying single include enjoying one’s own company, focusing on relationships with friends and family, having the freedom to travel or take up new hobbies, and being financially independent.
Enabling autonomy, especially for women who previously lacked financial freedom.
According to another report from Health Forbes, 53% of men and 68% of women who are single want to get into a relationship.
However, 91% and 94% of respondents, respectively, also think it’s currently the most difficult dating environment. Factors include the rising cost of living, environmental factors and the current global political climate.
What’s replacing dating apps? Going old school?
The declining usage of dating apps could also be reflective of the constantly changing dating trends.
In an Essence article from January 2025, sex and relationship expert Nikquan Lewis gave her dating trend predictions. This approach included dating without pressure, also known as ‘Soft Dating’, prioritising emotional intelligence, and intentional dating, where each person states what they want from the start.
A lot of the shifting trends highlight values that go against the fundamentals on which dating apps are based, for example, prioritising connection over looks.
I spoke to Sameena Khan, who has first hand experience on just how dangerous dating apps can be.
She has deleted all dating apps recently and commented how nice it is to not have her self worth impacted by these apps.
‘I feel a lot better now my romantic worth is not boiled down to a left or right swipe’.
A lot of Gen Z are now going back to more long-established methods to meet future partners. Eventbrite saw a 42% in singles and dating events. Meeting potential partners through mutual friends also saw a 15% increase.
According to a 2025 study from Pew Research, couples who meet through friends are 30% more likely to stay together.
Factors contributing to this include shared social circles. This increase the likelihood of finding common ground and establishing built-in trust through friends acting as a filter.
A recent survey from Thortful showed 57% of respondents aged 18-25 met their partners as friends, which ended up as a romantic relationship.
Another dating trend is finding a partner through micro-communities. According to an article from The Stylist, 60% of singles agree that unique, interesting hobbies are the best basis to form a relationship.
Eventbrite saw a significant 248% increase in Dungeons and Dragons-related events. In addition, companies have also picked up on the trend. Bard Books, based in East London, hosts a book club specifically for singles on the last Thursday of every month.
Benefits include being in a relaxed environment, being able to go past small talk, and finding more shared interests.
Why is this relevant?
Gen Z are creating our own mini movement, foregoing dating apps for our mental health. For women in particular, dating apps can give the illusion of autonomy and choice. Providing a sense of anonymity and therefore security while swiping through, trying to find a potential future partner.
However, it is still at a surface level, which can foster a sense of superficiality.
Meeting prospective partners offline, such as at a book club or through a friend, can give back a sense of agency. For example, going to specialised activities with like-minded individuals rather than trusting the computer algorithm to have your best interest at heart.
What will happen next?
There are a number of factors contributing to the decline of dating apps.
Mainly, the younger generation experiencing dating app fatigue, a result of being ghosted, increased competition, and harassment.
Many relationship experts predict dating trends that are incompatible with the principles of dating apps.
As Gen-Z gets older, giving up dating apps can help reduce the time, energy, and money spent swiping through dating apps. Going offline to meet prospective partners can feel less draining if you’re already going to special-interest social events.
Gen-Z are choosing to go offline; rather than find their future partner, they prefer to remain single.
Reasons include focusing on personal development or working on family and friends’ relationships. Macro factors are also taken into account, such as the cost of living crisis and the current global political situation.
While dating apps have been a fixture in society for nearly a decade, this may not continue. Recent trends reveal that younger generations’ relationship with online dating has undergone a drastic shift compared to our contemporaries.
Gen Z is using a combination of old-school methods and today’s technology to find a way that suits us.
Corrective Edit: Reference to Grindr and Bumble removed, as The Match Group does not own Grindr or Bumble.
