When dating apps came to India in 2014, it filled many of us with dreams. Many of us might have imagined experiencing a moment that felt like the equivalent of Deepika Padukone’s dupatta getting stuck to Shah Rukh Khan’s sleeve in Om Shaanti Om (2007). A virtual equivalent, of course. But a decade later, all these apps have done is added to our daily exhaustion.
A survey by Forbes Health revealed that 79% of Gen-Z is experiencing something called ‘dating app fatigue’. The endless swiping, being ghosted, conversations that were a dead-end, and even experiencing harassment has made a lot of fishes in the sea seem like bait for a bad experience instead.
So, let’s understand a bit more about “dating app fatigue” and what is causing Gen-Z to abandon these dating apps. Here are some surveys that can help us understand it better.
Why is Gen-Z abandoning dating apps?
A 2018 survey, conducted on 20,000 urban Indians, revealed that there were only one woman for every three men on dating apps. In an interview, Geetika Arora, co-founder of Prem-a-Culture, said, “For most men, [app-based dating] is a space where they have to put in money, but still don’t get enough matches. For women, it’s a space of getting too many invitations, swiping and browsing through too large a spectrum of men.”
According to the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI), 37% of women on dating apps received unsolicited and inappropriate images from their matches while around 18% experienced stalking. A whole other issue that arose from these apps that only added to the dating app fatigue was the financial frauds that occurred. A 2023 NCRB report revealed that, as a collective, almost 150 crores was reported to be embezzled through dating apps.
You might also like to read: Love or Lies – Rise of Online Dating Scams
Dating Apps are also causing mental health and emotional issues:
Not only are these dating apps affecting nearly all tangible aspects of your life, the state of one’s mental health that results from these experiences has only gotten worse because of a lot of reasons.
Low self-esteem, the pressure to appear a certain way, and the possibility of being lied to are only some of the consequences of using dating apps. 40% of the dating app users reported a lack of genuine connection, while others felt disappointed with people (35%), and others felt rejected (27%). Around 24% even reported that they were the same, repetitive conversations with multiple matches, while 41% said that they were simply ghosted.
Now before you have to go back on your word and agree to your parents finding a match for you through their own, gharelu means (not that there’s anything wrong with that too, just saying!), there are a few things that might prove to be a good solution to help you cross this state of being done with dating apps.
Solutions for ‘Dating App Fatigue’ that help make things a bit better for you:
So, there are two ways this exhaustion can be tackled. A few tips on what you can do, and what the dating apps are doing from their side to meet you halfway.
On your own part, Minaa B, one of the popular Relationship Coaches, has given a checklist of five ways to handle dating app fatigue on her Instagram.
- Taking multiple breaks and setting a limit of how many profiles you will interact with can be a good start. This gives you a reprieve from the constant draining of energy that happens when one uses a dating app, and also tackles their addictive nature.
- Know your ‘boundaries’ and ‘non-negotiables’, and make them your new best friend. Being clear on what you are actually looking for will ease the overwhelming feeling of having so many choices.
- Dating apps are a means, not an end. Not putting so much pressure on these to find your “one true love” may help in making more logical decisions when swiping.
- Quality over quantity is always a good rule to follow in life, and same goes for dating apps as well. Think about making quality connections with the people you match with, rather than trying to match with everyone out there who catches your interest.
- If you find that your own profile is the magnet attracting unhappy experiences, maybe switching some detail or your search criteria can help you in finding quality matches and a better experience.
Here’s how Apps are also working to make it better for users:
Even the popular dating apps are now putting in measures to help their users have a better experience and outcome while using their platforms.
Gen-Z dating has gotten a lot more sorted with the apps allowing the option of setting your intention of wanting a casual fling, or a relationship beforehand. Foregoing the whole automated algorithm that focuses more on superficial factors, apps like QuackQuack are now incorporating people to guide you through the whole match-making process. Some apps are using AI to let the users filter words or preferences that they don’t want to interact with. And when all else fails, use apps that cater to a particular niche, like Raya which is invite-based, Tune Up for all the lovers of music, and even for a particular language like Neetho for Telugus.
The long-story-short is this, while dating apps overcame obstacles like distance and lack of connectivity that were previously hindering love, they brought some of their own with them. All you can do is treat these Gen-Z dating apps like you would anything else that requires your time and energy – with precaution and in moderation. Love was never meant to be so technical anyway.
Also Read: Are we ready for the “Friendship Marriage” trend to become a new relationship norm?
Also Read: Dating Trends in 2025 – 6 New Gen-Z Dating Terms we bet you didn’t know