Gen Z is deleting dating apps. Here’s what Utah-based Mutual is trying

LEHI — Believe it or not, Gen Z is tired of swiping — especially if it’s on a dating app.

Recently Reports I suggest that online dating is no longer preferable 20 somethingWho say they prefer to meet potential romantic partners in person.

There are plenty of reasons for user fatigue: safety concerns, misleading profiles, ghosting, and more.

And Generation Z seems particularly ill-equipped for dating apps — or for dating at all. Dating app Hinge recently released a Stady Of its Gen Z users, which showed that nearly half have little or no dating experience, they are 47% more likely than millennial users to say the pandemic has made them feel nervous when talking to new people.

This social anxiety is intensified when combined with the common belief among Generation Z that there is only one soulmate for every person. Consider these statistics in the context of booming Loneliness epidemicand you have some serious dating app boredom on your hands.

Dating app in utah subscriber It tries to make the online experience more positive for Gen Z users.

“Burnout is something every dating app deals with — not just dating apps,” said Michael Patterson, president of Mutual. “People spend too much time on their phones.”

Patterson said people feel overwhelmed by social media, the overwhelming amount of information available online, and not having enough time outside. Add a dating app to the digital mix, and of course you’re going to see user fatigue.

“Generation Z needs a more efficient solution,” Patterson said. In his view, applications lose their way when they forget that their purpose is to be a source of strength, not a waste of time.

Scrolling through profiles on a dating app can be time-consuming — especially when each profile seems like a puzzle you need to decipher.

To simplify the swiping process, Mutual requires verification of all users to reduce safety concerns. The company has also added features such as “common themes” and a redesigned profile that requires users to enter more personal information.

When thinking about burnout, Patterson said it’s also important to remember that for most people, dating is cyclical. It’s common for users to stay active on Mutual for a month or two, then step away for a while — whether that’s because they start dating someone, or because they just want a break. Over the course of several years, many users will return to the app multiple times in short periods of activity.

That was the case for Chloe Tolson, who first acquired Mutual for a few months during her freshman year of college. She took a two-year break, then re-downloaded the app in 2023, and this time, it took just three weeks of swiping to meet her now-husband.

“I think they (dating apps) are definitely an effective tool if you have an open mind about it,” she said. “It definitely doesn’t always lead to long-term relationships, but I feel like I’ve been very lucky with that.”

For others, dating apps can be an exhausting juggle. “It took a lot of energy and time to keep up with it,” Mutual user Robin Watson said.

Watson didn’t like swiping based on quick judgements, which were often wrong – she usually ended up going out with people who weren’t her type. It was “a lot of first dates,” she said.

Generation Z needs a more efficient solution.

– Michael Patterson, Mutual President

In response to users like Watson, Mutual is rolling out a new speed dating feature that will reduce the “sometimes stressful experience” of waiting for a match or response, Patterson said. Users have the option to join a 15-minute online session, where they can message back and forth with people they care about for five minutes each.

“At the end of the day, you can decide whether you want to continue talking to this person or move on,” Patterson said.

Ultimately, Mutual’s biggest advantage is probably its niche demographic, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. For some users, the app is the only place they can go to meet people with similar values ​​— whether they’re jaded or not.