My generation has lost the ability to date in real life. Dating apps aren’t helping

September 22, 2026 — 5:00pm

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My dating app experiences haven’t been great. There have been ghosters and time-wasters and people who seemed fun over text but couldn’t hold a conversation in person.

My friends, though, have had some real Hinge horror stories.

One went on a date with a guy who told her he was planning to write his PhD thesis on “the philosophy of woman” but somehow didn’t notice that he had been explaining it for 30 minutes without letting the woman across from him speak.

Another girl went on a date with someone who made her do their laundry, and pay for it. They claimed they had a new debit card that didn’t work and hadn’t been able to do their laundry for two weeks as a result.

And one friend experienced “Hinge-cest”, where she and all her friends had ended up dating the same men. There are “Hinge celebrities” who have gone on so many dates that their reputation precedes them.

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Sounds like the ideal environment for meeting the love of your life,........

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