Is dating through apps still a thing? (+ the effect of AI and online culture)
Recent events made me think about how technology is shaping our relationships.
We’re online more, we even use AI as a “relationship advisor,” and at the same time, it feels like it’s harder for younger people to approach someone in real life.
Dating apps seem to be losing quality – yet they’re still the fastest way to meet someone, and... you know what I mean. (A friend told me that’s where all the “socially hopeless cases” end up. 😀)
Meanwhile, Meta revealed that Facebook Dating has 21.5 million daily users across 52 countries, including 1.77 million Americans aged 18 – 29. So it seems like Facebook Dating is slowly becoming a surprisingly acceptable (and less cringe) option.
Anyway...
How do you see dating in the age of AI and technology?
What change have you spotted in the last 10 years, and how do you see it in the future?
(And this is without even mentioning phenomena like the machismo culture around Andrew Tate or the advice some young women give on how to “resist men” – which also affects both individual relationships and the overall dating atmosphere.)
Replies
Most of my friends complain about dating these days.
But getting yourself an AI girlfriend is becoming easier and more accessible than ever.
So be modern. Don’t get a real girlfriend. Create yourself an AI avatar GF instead.
No arguments. No ghosting. Just pure algorithmic love. :lol:
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@byalexai 😂 AI kids soon :D
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@nosheen_kanwal Yes, it is better to train LLMs used by a billion people than having the whole village know about your problem :D
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@nosheen_kanwal That's fact :D
Cal ID
I've never tried a dating app ever – had to put this before I even start writing the comment :D
So it feels like dating apps are just digital icebreakers now. AI might help make intros smoother or nudge people out of their comfort zones, but human awkwardness and connection are never going out of style. Tech changes the process, not the endgame!
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@sanskarix Exactly. But I feel like more guys are not courage enough to take the first step offline :D
Cal ID
@busmark_w_nika That's a different discussion altogether. It's 2025, and we're seeing more drastic behavioral changes than ever!
Haven't been on dating apps for a while, they all are giving Grindr vibes... and the ones more serious-oriented are giving "compulsive networker" or "afraid of dying alone" vibes. I can only imagine what Facebook dating is like 🙃 I'd love to hear it if someone has tried it, even if only for the laughs.
I feel like the same non-user centric decisions that ruin social media are 10x more noticeable in dating apps, maybe because they are supposed to provide more intimate interactions, wether romantic or quick fun. Idk, I think the cucu-bananas segment of consumers like Andrew Tates and fellow archetypes are the only ones who can get any utility out of dating apps as they are nowadays. I have 0 confidence in this kind of product at the moment.
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@alberto_luengo IMO, this can be make or break. I remember how Meta rolled out this dating option to me in the summer. They tried to promote it to me, but I was like: eeeh. No, thanks :D
InboxAgents - Intelligent Unified Inbox
literally never used one
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@cam_mcmaster1 Same here. And my friend is so disappointed when he doesn't find the good partner :DDD For me, it is obvious. These apps are for fast fun.
Sider: AI Research Agent & Extension
I have an idea: what if, in a community like this, we offer a service where, with users’ consent, real people pretend to be AI to make friends? If the conversation goes well, both sides can reveal their real identities and become genuine friends; if it doesn’t go well, they can just quietly leave. Doesn’t that sound interesting?
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@rick_fan I think that something like this is already happening on Reddit when people are anonymous, and after a longer chat, they will swap photos of each other and agree to meet in person :D
Sider: AI Research Agent & Extension
@busmark_w_nika It’s not quite the same. On Reddit, we should interact with robots as if they were real people—you might know the other person is a robot, but you still have to pretend they’re human. This idea, however, is about treating possible human-like robots with the attitude you’d use for robots—you know the other person is most likely a robot.
There is an interesting take that .. I tried helping a friend rewrite his dating messages with AI. It worked. He got more matches, smoother chats… but when he met someone in person, he didn’t sound like the guy she “met.” That’s when it hit me. If AI starts dating for us, who’s actually in the relationship?
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@smitpatel_1306 Maybe you should go on the date instead of him? :D
IXORD
I have already mentioned that AI is a tool for humans, and I believe people should use AI to achieve their goals. I am not talking about relationship counseling. Perhaps there is, or will be, a program that analyzes a user’s profile description, creates a psychological portrait, and finds a match for them. That sounds impressive. However, I think people themselves will not fundamentally change. It may just increase the number or percentage of successful dates and users
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@ixord Foremost, we should remain people and not try to sound too robotic :)
IXORD
@busmark_w_nika Absolutely
TinyCommand
Dating apps didn’t fail at dating, maybe they just optimized for scrolling. The more profiles we see, the more everyone starts to feel like an interchangeable tile on a grid. So people browse each other like content, not humans.
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@apoorvajain I do not have a personal experience so I cannot approve this :D
Some people do meet their partners through dating apps, I know a few who are married now! but it feels rarer now, a lot of connections seem more fleeting, yeah i think ai and tech make meeting people easier, but the real challenge is still building a genuine connection
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@bailey_stelia Which apps? :D because I have only heard how my friends met some nerds :D