"Dating fatigue" appears to dominate the cultural landscape - some 78% of dating app users say they feel "emotionally, mentally, or physically exhausted" by them, according to a 2024 study by Forbes Health, and a 2023 YouGov survey found that 46% of Brits say their dating app experiences have been bad.
According to a Cherry study, 58% of people dating feel exhausted by the process of swiping and superficial interactions, while 40% say their motivation to meet someone has decreased as a result.
With 10% of adults visiting a dating site - and almost 4% visiting one daily according to Ofcom - there is no sign they are going anywhere fast, even if numbers are dropping.
People are glued to their phones - from texting in the middle of conversations to scrolling through dating apps while sitting across from someone at dinner, it seems we are physically present but mentally elsewhere.
"This is a different way of dating, we have obviously become so reliant on the apps for years but we're giving people new opportunities to meet people in an 'IRL' way'.".
