As those looking for love become fatigued with dating apps, there has been a sharp increase in attendance at face-to-face singles events in the UK. Bored of eternally swiping left, people are ditching the digital world for more experiential opportunities to make genuine real-world connections.

SOON is a dating app designed to facilitate in-person dating via in-app video chat. While many Americans are ditching dating apps for IRL experiences, video calls are being widely used as a digital screening process. As the dating landscape changes, platforms are adapting along with it.

Dating apps aren’t the only way for people to meet online. Couples are finding each other all over the internet – via Discord servers, video games, review sites, and even customer service portals. What do these unconventional digital meet-cutes reveal about the state of digital romance?

When it comes to dating, what we want and how we want it is changing – post-pandemic, people want tangible relationships. After Tinder had its most swipes in history on the first Sunday after the onset of COVID-19, many have grown tired of swiping and are seeking more from the dating landscape.