Gen Z is ditching the apps to date in real life. Here are 4 top tips.

Gen Z is tired of dating apps and would prefer meeting people in real life, but the tech-savvy generation isn’t as experienced with navigating romance in person.

Dating apps have been losing their appeal amongst singles in recent years, especially Gen Z, the generation born between 1997 and 2012. Only 26% of 18 to 29-year-olds in the U.S. are using online dating services compared with 61% of 30 to 49-year-olds, according to Statista data from September 2023. 

Dating apps are no longer cool to the younger generation because they’re hyper-aware that these companies are solely focused on making money rather than building a good user experience, according to Jeff Guenther, a licensed professional counselor for individuals and couples and author of “Big Dating Energy.”

“It feels like signing up for dating apps makes tech boys and Silicon Valley investors richer,” Guenther told CNBC Make It in an interview. “They want to keep us on the app as long as possible so they can make money off of us and not really match us up with somebody so that we delete the app,”

Guenther pointed to the various app features hidden behind paywalls, and users experiencing frequent “micro-rejections” like ghosting which keeps them hooked.

“There’s all these like little micro rejections that are happening that mess with your self-esteem, self-worth, mental health so it feels like it’s not the best place to feel good about yourself anymore,” he said.

At least 95% of Gen Z using the dating app Hinge are fearful of rejection and over half say worrying about rejection has held them back from pursuing potential relationships, according to Hinge’s dating trends report published in February 2024.

As a result, Gen Z wants to ditch the apps, including going back to traditional methods of dating such as meeting someone in real life, according to a recent Eventbrite survey of 1,001 respondents in the U.S.

Almost half of Gen Zers are keen to meet life partners through their mutual friends and about a third are hopeful that it will happen in their day-to-day routine, Eventbrite found.

“They grew up with iPhones in their hands and they’re such digital natives, they probably haven’t had too much practice flirting with people in real life and taking risks and it’s scary. It’s a vulnerable thing to be in real life and go up and approach somebody or ask somebody on a date,” Guenther said.

Guenther and Courtney Boyer, a relationship and sexuality expert, shared four top tips for Gen Z to meet people in real life.