Gen Z dating app fatigue has led matchmakers to stage a comeback in the US.
According to a health survey by Forbes, 79 percent 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 $1 million 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 in Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York City. The grants will range between $10,000 to $25,000 each to develop, according to Fast Company.
Meanwhile, Tinder has announced they will be adding an option called Tinder Matchmaker that allows friends and family to review a user’s matches.
“For years, singles have asked their friends to help find their next match on Tinder, and now we’re making that so easy with Tinder Matchmaker,” Tinder chief marketing officer Melissa Hobley said in a statement about the launch. “Tinder Matchmaker brings your circle of trust into your dating journey and helps you see the possibilities you might be overlooking from the perspective of those closest to you.”
The feature will allow Tinder users to invite friends and family - including non-app users - to review and suggest potential matches. Like regular matchmaking, Tech Crunch says the new feature won’t get in the way of the user ultimately choosing their matches, but they can use the advice from their friends and family to their benefit.
This hybridized model of old-fashioned matchmaking and modern-day dating apps spells the future of what the dating sphere will look like. By taking a page out of the tried and true methods of the past, only then do experts believe that dating apps will be able to survive the evolving tastes of Gen-Z.
