I met my husband at university when we were both undergraduates: he was 19 and I was 21. We’ve been together ever since—which means I never experienced the trials and tribulations of dating apps. In this regard, I feel quite lucky. Dating apps sound awful, and now, after years as the de facto method of hooking up, they’re experiencing a backlash.
Members of Gen Z are using dating apps less than their millennial counterparts, and dating in person is having a comeback. Singles mixers and trivia nights are popping up. Running groups are a popular way to connect with new people. Organizations like Single in the City and Speed Dating Canada organize meet-ups at restaurants or bars.
Treena Orchard, an associate professor of anthropology at Western University’s School of Health Studies and the author of Sticky, Sexy, Sad: Swipe Culture and the Darker Side of Dating Apps, spent time in the dating-app trenches. Now, she’s written an essay for Maclean’s endorsing a return to meeting in real life. She chronicles the soul-crushing experience of dating apps and explains why singles should put away their phones. “Relying solely on the algorithm restricts us from having the random, wonderful, unexpected sparks with new people that are a core part of being human.”
—Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief
