Forget the tech — Silicon Valley whizz kids are going old school.
Bay Area singles are unplugging from dating apps and looking for love in real life after being exhausted by “ghosting,” dead-end chats and false advertising online.
A growing wave of “app-athy” is sweeping NorCal and paving the way for in-person connections.
Speed-dating events and IRL mixers are seeing a massive surge in popularity in San Francisco, with bachelor and bachelorettes ditching algorithms to pitch themselves on stage in an open-mic setting.
The Faight Collective, a Lower Haight arts-and-culture hub, hosts gatherings like live comedy dating shows, where singles go through three to five rounds of live dating on stage before an audience.
A comedian host keeps the banter sharp and the awkward silences short, while the crowd acts as a collective Cupid, cheering for their favorite pairs to decide who walks away with a date.
“Because the world in 2026 is all about meeting IRL, not on dating apps,” the organizers at Thursday said.
“I feel like in person it is more organic, you get a vibe,” said Sabina Rodriguez, 57, a veteran of the South Bay speed-dating circuit told the Mercury News. “There’s just little quirks you find out by talking. The conversation is more intimate.”
It’s not just vibes, though. Daters are reportedly fed up with AI-filtered photos, catfishing nightmares and conversations that are dead in the water.
Paul Neuenschwander, a 37-year-old relationship coach, said the apps have essentially become a breeding ground for “desperation” and “less confidence.”
Experts say the US is witnessing a post-pandemic correction. After years of being locked behind screens, Americans are “hungry” for human touch.
According to Stanford professor Michael Rosenfeld, the pandemic added 10 million single adults to the US population – and they’re not looking for another Zoom call.
Data analyzed by Eventbrite reveals swipe fatigue is real, seeing over 1.5 million searches for dating and singles events on their site in 2024, “signaling a strong desire for in-person connections.”
“I’m a 24f and have been on hinge in San Francisco for 4 months now,” one Redditor wrote. “ITS SO DEAD!”
Don’t delete your online profile just yet though, Rosenfeld warned, because the apps still have the numbers advantage.
