Summer is here, and love is in the air—though increasingly not, as Antonia Mufarech writes, on the apps. As the dating sites struggle, people are going back to the classics (IRL interactions) or starting new traditions (love on LinkedIn?). Plus: How Birkenstock became a luxury brand. If this email was forwarded to you, click here to sign up. More and more, it seems, people in the dating market are looking at the apps on their phones and swiping left on the whole enterprise. Bumble Inc. and Match Group Inc., which dominate the online dating realm, have together lost more than $53 billion in market value since Bumble’s initial public offering in 2021. Bumble’s sales growth is expected to slow to 9% this year, down from a peak of 31% in 2021. The number of people paying to use Match’s apps, such as Hinge and Tinder, declined 6% to 14.9 million from the same quarter a year earlier. The reasons for this are manifold: Paying for matches and dealing with bots are among some of the top turnoffs mentioned online. “It is difficult, if not impossible, to distinguish truth from fiction” on dating platforms, says Harry Reis, a professor of psychology at University of Rochester. “People are tired of being disappointed or worse.” Although some users are unwilling to spend money on subscriptions and others are wary of crimes and AI scams, online dating isn’t sunsetting anytime soon. It’s just evolving, in unconventional ways. According to a survey of 505 people actively dating in the US, conducted by DatingNews.com, 52% of all respondents ages 20 to 40 said they had met people through networking platforms such as LinkedIn. Yes, LinkedIn. Why?  LinkedIn is not just for celebrating work anniversaries anymore. Photographer: Thomas Trutschel/Photothek “The filters!” says Candice Gallagher, who goes by the username @candi.licious, in a viral TikTok video explaining why she uses LinkedIn as a dating app. “No. 1, I can filter for an education—MBA, baby. No. 2, I can filter by industry. I’m looking at doctor, lawyer, finance bro.” By her logic, an executive profile might be a more reliable representation of the person, at least careerwise. Who’d post something they wouldn’t want a potential employer to see? LinkedIn says that, as a professional network, it encourages its members to engage in meaningful, authentic conversations, including those that are lighthearted and respectful, as long as no community policies are violated. “Romantic advances and harassment of any form is a violation of our rules, and our policies include detailed examples that show what kind of content does not belong on LinkedIn,” a company spokesperson said. “Members can report any instances of harassment on LinkedIn and signal to us that such behavior is unwanted, allowing us to take action.” The DatingNews.com survey also noted that 21% of respondents used non-dating apps for meeting people, such as Duolingo, the language-learning program. Consider Amanda Lopez, originally from the Philippines, who reached out to US-based Rob Ciesielski via Facebook in 2021 after he congratulated her on her Duolingo streak. After calls, virtual family introductions and care packages sent halfway around the globe, the couple tied the knot in the Philippines in January 2023. “While Duolingo’s mission is to make language learning fun and accessible, we’re thrilled when learners like Rob and Amanda find love along the way,” says Monica Earle, senior PR manager at Duolingo. “Even though we are not a dating app, seeing our platform bringing people together is heartwarming.” Other apps have unexpectedly served as Cupid as well, such as Strava, which tracks workouts. But some courageous daters are expanding beyond chat rooms and taking matters into their own hands to find someone who checks all the boxes. (Memo to daters: If your criteria are too strict, you could be in for some teasing—or land a record deal.) Others on the lookout for “The One” have completely removed apps from the equation and are turning to the old-school ways, such as speed dating, mixers and setups. Or meeting at a bar. An Australian clothing brand had a viral moment this year when its marketers handed out croissants during a commute to attract would-be partners. Paul Eastwick, who researches how people initiate romantic relationships, says he’s heard people are embracing classic live, face-to-face avenues more and more. “Assuming this is true, I think it reflects the realization that face-to-face impressions are hard to duplicate through online approaches,” he says, “and people naturally seem to enjoy most forms of in-person socializing more than they enjoy passively scrolling their phones these days.” | 
