In fact, on several dating platforms, boomers individuals aged 59 to 72 were the fastest growing userbase. Aging singles were having the most orgasmic sex of their lives, according to data from Match. Since , the kink-positive app Feeld has experienced a percent surge in users who are plus. Many other apps also reported a record Tinder, setting a new benchmark, reached 50 million users.
Sniffies, the platform for queer cruisers that uses map technology, saw a 26 percent increase in straight singles. A total of billion chats βyes, billion βwere sent between gay men on Grindr. On Bumble, where women make the first move, paid users increased by 10 percent, topping 3 million. Modern dating is broken. A study released by Flirtini found that one in four people rely on TikTok to figure out how to navigate their relationship, despite a clear rise in misinformation.
To fix that, several startups launched niche dating appsβsome puzzling, others entirely predictableβdesigned to satisfy unique needs, with many of them built around the promise of AI. Volar , created by a former product director at Snap, uses a chatbot to message back and forth with potential daters on your behalf. Still, the exhaustion of swiping right remains a major concern among singles of every demographic. In the dating wilds, app fatigue is contagious. I heard from JB in December.
JB told me he is still exhausted by the apps but hasn't stopped using them. The week we talk, he is fresh off another breakup. A recent courtship in Philadelphia, he said, fizzled after the woman lied about talking to other people. She made the first move on Raya and they later established more of a bond trading DMs on Instagram. She had pursued him, which was rare and a refreshing change of pace. Which made it all the more difficult when the relationship ended. He wonders if dating apps will ever have a solution for singles like him.
Hey, maybe it's time to delete some old chat histories. Big Story: The spectacular burnout of a solar panel salesman. The Money Money Money issue: Rich men rule the world. Save this story Save. I shot back. You Might Also Like β¦. Jason Parham is a senior writer at WIRED where he covers social media, race, the future of entertainment, and dating culture. Previously, he was an editor at The Fader and Gawker. Read more. Senior Writer X.
