I think back to freshman year, when my friends and I would cram onto a lumpy dorm-issue twin bed and huddle around one phone, collectively cringing as we swiped through Hinge.

That was my first foray into dating apps. It took me a week—and a handful of dead-end chats—before I deleted it.

As it turns out, I’m far from alone.

According to mobile app analytics company AppsFlyer, 65% of dating apps downloaded in 2024 were deleted within a month. This year, that number has climbed to 69%, AppsFlyer told Fast Company.

During the pandemic, dating apps were a lifeline. Gen Z spent much of their formative years—high school, early college—on Zoom, and online dating was a natural extension of a life in lockdown.

Now, many young people want their love lives off-screen again.

Wendy Walsh, the in-

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