78 percent. Not a guess. Not an estimate. That's the number a recent survey found. Nearly eight out of ten dating app users feel burned out.
Honestly? I'm not surprised.
The Numbers Tell the Story
The survey data paints a clear picture: most singles are tired. Tired of endless swiping, of conversations that fizzle out, of dates that feel like job interviews.
Gen Z has it even worse. 79% of this age group reports exhaustion from dating apps. These are people who grew up with smartphones in their hands. When even the digital natives are fed up, something's fundamentally broken.
The Match.com Singles in America report (conducted with the Kinsey Institute) backs this up: 53% of all singles report general dating fatigue. More than half.
Offline Dating Makes a Comeback
Here's where it gets interesting. While dating apps lose users, speed dating events suddenly have waiting lists. Yes, speed dating. The format many had declared dead.
People want to see real faces again. Hear actual voices. Read body language. You don't get that information from a profile photo or a text message.
The Business of Apps statistics for 2026 show a trend taking shape: singles are deleting apps and returning to traditional ways of meeting people.
Why Is Everyone So Tired?
The problem isn't online dating itself. The problem is how most platforms work.
Swipe left. Swipe right. Endless profiles. Always hunting for the next option. The feeling of being just one option among thousands yourself.
Dating apps gamified meeting people. And like any game, there comes a point where you don't want to play anymore.
Then there's this: the sheer volume of options paradoxically makes it harder to choose. Psychologists call it the paradox of choice. More options don't lead to better decisions. They lead to paralysis and dissatisfaction.
What Does This Mean for You?
If you're feeling burned out from dating, you're not alone. Far from it, actually.
The question is: what now?
One option is complete retreat into offline dating. Works for some. But not everyone has the time or opportunity to constantly attend events.
The other option: fundamentally change how you approach online dating.
Less swiping. More intentional selection. Quality over quantity. Sounds simple, but it requires a platform change. Most apps are built for volume, not depth.
The Difference Between Volume and Connection
Hinge recently found something interesting in their Dating Forward study: singles want fewer superficial matches and more genuine connections.
That's not a contradiction to online dating. That's a contradiction to bad online dating.
The platforms that survive will be the ones that understand: people aren't looking for infinite options. They're looking for a handful of real connections.
The Future of Meeting People
Dating burnout is real. The statistics prove it. But that doesn't mean you have to give up.
It means you have to be smarter. Choose platforms that focus on real connections instead of volume. Allow yourself to not be active every day. Put quality above quantity.
And maybe go offline sometimes too. Try a speed dating event. Visit a club. Take a workshop.
The 78% is a warning. But it's also an opportunity. Because when almost everyone is tired of playing the same game, that's the right time to change the rules.
Frequently Asked Questions
Want a different dating experience? SparkChambers focuses on quality over endless swiping. Real profiles, real connections.
