Love-seekers are abandoning dating apps in favor of a more old-fashioned approach. Lilia Luciano reports.

Los Angeles

An increasing number of singles are choosing to meet potential partners in person rather than using dating apps. Matchmaking events, such as those organised by Date Cincy, are seeing a surge in popularity, particularly among millennials and Gen Z. Organisers note that many have grown tired of online dating and are seeking more authentic, face-to-face interactions. 

Attendance at in-person singles events has risen significantly, with some gatherings attracting hundreds of participants. Meanwhile, dating apps like Bumble have experienced a sharp decline in value, suggesting a broader trend away from digital matchmaking. Couples who met at these events report stronger connections and a greater sense of authenticity compared to online encounters.

More people turning off dating apps and trying to find love in real life

Well, it's 2025 and we still don't know who wrote the Book of Love, in case you were wondering. But we can tell you there is a new edition. In it, love seekers abandon dating apps for the old-fashioned approach. Lillia Luciano has tonight's Eye on America. Hopefully the Reds win tonight. I'm really hoping for the Reds to win, sweep the Yankees. Ross Rowling and Carly Burns are like any other couple in their 20s. When I first saw Ross, I was like, oh, he's cute, and he can hold a conversation. What's unusual these days is how they met, in person. When we tell people that we met at a singles event, they're like, no way, they still have those? I'm like, oh yeah, you should go. The couple, who's been together for a year and a half, met at an event hosted by Date Cincy. It was just the second event put on by Cincinnati natives and childhood friends Paige Braley and Logan Moore. They launched a matchmaking event series for people who have grown sick of swiping for dates and are looking to connect in person. It seems like the millennials are the ones who kind of, they make up the bulk of our events. Yeah. I think there's a perception that Gen Z and younger millennials are just married to their phones. What does that look like from your perspective? To an extent, guilty as charged, right? That being said, I think we've also kind of gone through the burnout of it. For millennials, people between 29 and 45 were the first to get on dating apps and the first to get off them. Gen Z, the generation between the ages of 13 and 28, used the apps even less. So now there's this craving and this yearning for just time like this, right? Like where we're just connecting face to face with other humans. At these events, anywhere between 50 and 800 singles show up all with a common goal and without the ability to hide who they really are. Like some people do online. You meet them in person and then it's like, oh, well we actually have nothing in common or you're not who I thought you were. Bumble, a once popular app, has lost 90% of its value since going public four years ago. While in-person events are increasingly popular with attendance rising by 42% from 2022 to 2023. It's probably going to be awkward. Just acknowledge that it will be awkward and just go in with an open mind and who knows? Maybe you'll meet someone and go on a first date and it goes well. Carly and Ross are among the many date-sensi couples that the group counts among their success stories of love at first sight. I knew within the first month that I was going to marry her. And you can't create chemistry in that sense. That happens face to face. Correct. Correct. It's just part of the human nature. You get filled with a passion, you get filled with excitement and energy because you feel that chemistry. With no swiping or filters, turns out there's plenty of room for real engagement and even a ring. For Eye on America, I'm Lila Luciano in Cincinnati, Ohio. What's old really is new again.

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