Nguyen-Don had a total facepalm moment earlier this year. She was vibing with a dude on Hinge and decided to hit him up for a spontaneous date in London. But as she was all dolled up and on the train, Mr. Right-now decided to ghost her — blocked her on WhatsApp because she didn’t text back fast enough (talk about impatient). Of course, the moment she reached the city, voila, unblocked. The date was all kinds of awkward, and Nguyen-Don was not impressed, especially since this guy was 36 — like, seriously?
Her TikTok rant about the date got millions nodding in agreement. It’s like everyone’s got a horror story or ten. The gist? Dating apps give us too many options, and it’s turned finding “The One” into finding “The One for Right Now.”
Then there’s Alexis Dougé, who had a date swipe her pricey shoes right out of her apartment. Sure, thievery ain’t new, but when your date’s just a profile pic and a bio, it’s like the personal touch just evaporates.
Experts are saying we’ve become too focused on the swiping and not enough on the actual people behind those swipes. It’s like we’ve boiled down our identities to a couple of pics and quirky prompts. And if you don’t fit the bill right away, swipe left — next!
Like Brian from Atlanta — he wanted someone outdoorsy, but then he realized that people aren’t just one thing. They’re multidimensional, capable of stepping outside their labeled box.
Foyin Ogunrombi from Johannesburg is fed up, too. After years of swiping, she’s over the small talk and the hookup culture vibe. There’s no real connection, no real effort to get to know each other. It feels like a transaction, and not the fun kind.
So, who’s at fault here?
The apps with their buffet of options or us for how we’re using them? Nguyen-Don thinks it’s a bit of both. Maybe if we all worked on our communication skills, the apps could be a tool for good, not the dumpster fire they can feel like.
Some folks, like David Argetsinger and Alissa Wilson, did strike gold on these apps, finding their fiancées. They went in with open minds, not just hunting for romance but for connections of any kind.
As people get app burnout, old-school dating’s making a comeback. Think speed dating — where you actually meet people face to face. Companies like WeMetIRL are popping up, feeding the craving for genuine human connection, and these events are selling out fast.
Even Bumble’s clocked this, hosting singles events to keep up with the changing tides. Dating apps aren’t going anywhere, but there’s a glimmer of hope — people still believe in love, they’re just finding new ways to chase it.
