Young Americans are increasingly embracing offline dating

A growing number of US teens and young adults are cutting URLs out of their dating life and switching to IRL.

According to a new report from event management platform Eventbrite, more young Americans are turning to in-person events in order to meet potential romantic partners.

• Attendance at dating and singles events on Eventbrite has more than doubled over the past two years, including a 49% jump from May 2023 to April 2024.
• The company says its research found relationship-seeking Gen Z and millennials are moving away from dating apps, and instead see places like coffee shops, bookstores, dance/cooking classes, and painting workshops as ideal spots to meet potential partners.

The trend comes amid increasing complaints of dating app burnout. A recent Forbes Health study found 79% of Gen Z and 80% of millennials report feeling fatigued by dating apps, outpacing all other generations.

• A separate report, published last October by Axios and Generation Lab, found 79% of college students and other Gen Zers don’t use any dating apps, instead opting for in-person meet-cutes to find romantic partners.

Over on Wall Street, younger Americans’ growing interest in offline dating has coincided with a recent downturn for the two major dating app players: Bumble and Match Group (which owns Tinder, Hinge, Match.com, and other platforms). Bumble’s shares have fallen 34% over the past year, while Match’s have dropped 23%.

Yes, but: Despite growing enthusiasm for meeting romantic partners IRL, dating apps are still one of the most popular ways to find a match. An estimated 10% of all partnered adults met their current significant other online, including 20% of Americans under 30, per the most recent Pew data.

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