Exhausted by dating apps, Angela Garwood has decided to take her search for love offline. She has chosen to engage in various ‘in real life’ dating events, hoping to form genuine connections.
Angela has had her share of unfruitful online dating experiences, from men who never intended to meet to those who omitted important personal details. Her experiences are not unique. The Ofcom Online Nation 2024 report revealed a significant decline in usership of top UK dating apps. The allure once offered by apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge seems to be waning as users seek more authentic and personal interactions.
Digital dating fatigue is prompting singles to seek alternatives offline. Offline dating events are becoming increasingly popular, with variations ranging from dog walking dates to bookshop gatherings. The promise? Real chemistry over algorithm-determined compatibility. Statistics from event organizers Original Dating and The Inner Circle suggest live events may lead to first dates more than 60% of the time, far exceeding the 14% success rate of app-based encounters. In an effort to research this trend, and perhaps find love, Angela decided to log off and step out into the world of ‘real life’ dating.
Speed Dating
Angela’s first foray into offline dating was a speed dating event in Oxford. Nervous but open-minded, she struck up a conversation with a potential match before the event officially started. However, he disappeared before their official turn to chat arrived. Despite this, Angela found the event refreshing, with eye-contact and real laughter providing a more genuine connection than digital messaging. Speed dating might have taken a backseat when dating apps arrived, but the numbers suggest it’s making a comeback, with London-based speed dating events tripling in number from 2021 to 2022.
Andrew Summersgill, founder of Original Dating, believes that real-life interaction offers much more insight than weeks of online chatting. He suggests that meeting face to face allows nuance to return to dating, with voice, posture, warmth and even awkward exchanges offering more authenticity than online profiles. Angela left the event uplifted but single, reminding herself that attraction is physical and unpredictable.
Singles Night
The next offline dating event Angela attended was a singles’ night. The environment was optimistic and a bit chaotic, with everyone in the packed bar open to being approached. James Ormerod, head of London events at Thursday, says demand for such events is surging as individuals are seeking genuine connections and growing tired of the draining dating app culture. Angela noted that while the openness and spontaneity of the event was liberating, the influence of alcohol could blur judgment, which may not be ideal when seeking meaningful connections.
The House Party
Bored of Dating Apps (BODA) hosted a house party that Angela attended next. The event was playful from the start, attracting individuals who value effort and depth in dating. Jess Evans, founder of BODA, launched the organization with an aim to bring back the thrill of not knowing who you might meet at an event. Angela found that the house party format made it easier to gracefully exit conversations that weren’t going well and found the event’s anti-ghosting and respect-the-rejection policy helpful. While not all interactions were successful, Angela left the event feeling positive.
