They’re apps-olutely sick of swiping.
Gen Z’s appetite for companionship seems to be shifting away from fast food-like flings towards full-course love feasts.
And their tastes for meeting potential matches are, too, changing.
Rather the scrolling through dating apps like Hinge, Bumble and Tinder, twenty-somethings are hoping to score a sweetie in more unconventional settings — such as virtual reality, protests and funerals.
“We commissioned a survey of 502 U.S. daters aged 18-27, asking them, ‘When it comes to finding someone to date, what, if any, are your preferred methods?,” said study author Amber Brooks of DatingAdvice.com.
Helming the June 2024 research, Brooks endeavored to determine how anti-app Zoomers are reeling in relationships from the murky depths of today’s dating pool.
And her dating data couldn’t have come at a better time.
With several major US cities, such as NYC, being branded some of the “worst” places for singles, young adults have becoming increasingly creative on their quests for love.
Burned out by fruitless romance sites, the Gen Z gals of Gotham are hitting the fruit aisles of Whole Foods Tribeca, hunting for hunky husbands. Beyond the Big Apple, wannabe lovebirds nationwide are turning to professional matchmakers, hoping the tried-and-true method might produce a few quality candidates.
“Matchmaking in this country has never been more popular,” Adam Cohen-Aslatei, director of Tawkify matchmaking service recently told The Post. “It’s really grown pretty tremendously.”
But folks who can neither afford to waste time patrolling for partners through grocery stores, nor spending money on hired Cupids, are relying on quirky meetcutes, per Brooks.
“Interestingly, most Gen Zers prefer to meet in person,“ the investigator noted in her report, “with 90.24% of total respondents saying they want to meet a potential partner at a social gathering, a bookstore, a local club or class, and other offline events and places.”
While both men and women of the demographic hope to bum into a honey during everyday outings, both sides showed nearly identical interests in meeting during justice marches, memorials or in the metaverse.
Here’s a look at the avant-garde ways Gen Zs are going about getting a date.
Fight the power — of love
Finding someone with whom you share a common interest can be tough.
But activists on the prowl are looking no further than their nearest picket line.
“According to our survey of 18 to 27-year-old daters, 19.05% of men prefer to meet new people for dating purposes while standing up for a cause and holding up a placard,” said Brooks. “This makes it their second-highest-ranked preference in terms of where they look for potential partners.”
And owing to the recent string of social and political demonstrations throughout the nation, there’s likely no shortage of warring women on the march.
Approximately 14% of lady-respondents polled agreed, lauding rallies as good spaces for meeting people.
R.I.P. to the single life
Researchers under Brooks’ purview determined that a shocking 13.89% of men and 12.4% of women like digging up potential dates at doctor’s office, hospitals and funerals.
“Grief can, of course, create strong bonds,” said the study author, “and there’s nothing to stop you from striking up a conversation with someone you happen to get along with, whether it be at a funeral or elsewhere.”
“Just remember to read the room and be cautious with your approaches,” she advised. “After all, no one visits the doctor expecting to be asked out.”
Love’s a game
After a while, being a player gets old — even to would-be Romeos in their prime.
So, rather than shooting their shots at hotties in real life, the young guns are seeking romance in the virtual reality realm.
An eye-popping 17.46% of males surveyed highlighted high-tech gaming as a preferred place for mating. However, only a sniveling 10.8% of women echoed those sentiments — making it the ladies’ least preferred dating technique.
“The easiest explanation for the gender divide could be that men spend more time gaming and indulging in online activities,” said Brooks. “but according to the latest data, this is simply untrue.”
“It could just be a confidence thing — with men more confident behind an avatar or online persona,” she proposed. “Whereas women prefer to flaunt their true personality in real-life settings.”
