Gen Z dating app fatigue has led matchmakers to stage a comeback in the US. According to a health survey by Forbes , 79 per cent of Gen Z-ers report experiencing dating app burnout, with many turning to alternative ways to find love including one of the oldest methods out there: matchmaking. Many young adults are sick and tired of the trappings of modern dating, from ghosting to catfishing, matchmaker Germany Fox explained to Popsugar that her younger clients are seeking “old-fashioned” romances.
“Everybody wants to write off Gen Z as being so unserious about everything, but there are a lot of them who are seeking these real, more old-fashioned types of relationships,” Fox told the outlet. “My Gen Z clients say they come to me because dating apps are dead, that the waters are polluted and they’re getting ghosted or catfished.” It isn’t just Fox that has noticed an uptick in Gen-Z clientele, with matchmaking companies like Three Day Rule reporting they’ve experienced a marked increase in clients ages 27 or younger within the past year.
Interest in matchmaking, however, does not spell the end of dating apps, with companies taking note of Gen-Z’s desires for real connections. Dating app giant Hinge has set aside $1m to facilitate in-person dating events to combat the US’s ongoing loneliness epidemic. The money will go to a social fund sponsoring groups developing “fresh, free/low-cost, and recurring in-person connection opportunities” for young adults i.