Singles turn to face-to-face dating as app fatigue grows

More singles are tired of the swipe culture on dating apps and are choosing to meet face to face instead, DR reports.

The trend is especially popular in larger cities, but more events are now appearing in smaller towns. SingleNordic is holding a speed-dating event in Slagelse, a town where participants are trying to find love without screens, using pen and paper instead.

“The great thing has been meeting people instead of sitting with dating apps,” said Christian Høgh Pedersen, who has attended similar events.

Event organiser Tabita Schjøtt Zinck said there is clear interest in meeting people locally.

“People are really happy that they can come out because they want to meet someone in their own area. It does not help to travel to a larger city and find a partner there if that is not where you live,” she said.

Pedersen, from Næstved, said speed dating gives participants a more active role than dating apps, where it can feel unclear whether anything will happen.

“At the very least, you have a sense of community with the other people who show up and take part,” he said.

Patricia Jiménez, a sexologist, couples therapist and expert on single life and love, said the shift away from screens was not surprising.

“We are really tired of being online. We are tired of the kind of ‘presence’ that exists online. We need to go out and feel people in real life,” she said. “By feeling other people, we also feel ourselves.”

Jiménez holds her own events in Copenhagen and said attendance is growing. She welcomed the fact that events are beginning to appear in towns across the country.