The Dating App Exodus: Why Singles Are Walking Away—and What’s Next

by / ⠀Featured / February 26, 2025
exodus
For years, dating apps have promised to make finding love easier.  However, for many singles, the reality has been anything but romantic. What was once exciting and new has for many boiled down to a tiresome cycle of endless swiping, ghosting, and shallow interactions. More and more people are currently opting out in frustration at what feels more like a numbers game than a path to genuine connection. While some have valued the thoroughness of algorithm-driven matches, others point toward general pressures to present a winner profile. The modern romance has suddenly rendered itself more transactional than emotional, say many daters. With frustration reaching an all-time high, the next question is: where is online dating heading? exodus

Why Singles Are Giving Up on Dating Apps

For many, the worst part isn’t that apps do not seem to work at times; rather, they require more energy and effort for little reward. “The whole platform of online dating has been built upside down at worst and has been based on science that was formulated in 1917 at best! The problem was less an issue when the legacy apps we all know now, were launched around 2014 when we were still a heavily text-based society. We are now a visually wired society now and I am NOT talking about “hot or not”. We process a whole spectrum of information through simply looking at images. Think about it; at work we look at PowerPoint, on menus we look at perfectly crafted images of food and lattes, at home we scroll through images of exotic locales, and watch videos of lives, passions and goals we aspire to. This is how we associate value to everything, so why not ourselves and the ones we want to spend the rest of our lives with? Says Candace Hancock, co-founder of the new matchmaking platform Endgame Dating App that can be found on the Mac IOS App Store and Google Play. “It’s like walking into a party where everyone is talking at once—you’re overwhelmed, not connected.” Daters seem to be most bothered by these three categories; Swipe Fatigue – To many users, swiping is somewhat of an activity done to pass time without any real effort trying to form chemistry. Ghosting & Flakiness – There are so many options nowadays that the transition to the next alternative seems easy enough to avert developing lasting relationships. Pay-to-Play Models – Most apps nowadays employ different ways to boost visibility, making it hard for most users to find quality matches without unlocking premium features. With traditional dating apps feeling more like a job than an enjoyable experience, many singles are seeking new ways to connect both online and offline.
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The Next Evolution of Online Dating

As traditional dating apps become less appealing, new platforms rise to fix all the frustrations of being a modern single. One of them is Endgame, a platform redefining online dating to move away from text-heavy profiles and endless swiping. Instead, Endgame adds a visual-first approach that mimics the way people naturally connect in the real world. “People do not fall in love over a bullet list on a profile,” observes Dr. Maegan Renee, PhD, behavioral science expert for Endgame. “Rather, people fall in love through shared experiences, emotions, and attraction. That is why we built Endgame to do visual storytelling instead of static bios.” Different from old-school apps, Endgame users curate image-based profiles, not limited to selfies but rather snapshots of their lifestyle, values, and aspirations. The platform runs analyses on behavioral patterns based on users’ selections, creating matches based on compatibility rather than proximity or popularity.  “People, like science are every evolving. Our interactions with ourselves and each other are often products of the technology we use which in turn influences how we perceive the world around us. It is not good enough to say this is how it’s always been done, we must as innovators and entrepreneurs look inward always so we can find new ways to create value in the fields of love and relationships,” says Dr. Baxlee Bynum, PhD, another co-founder of Endgame.

Ditching the Paywalls & Gamification

 “We don’t believe in charging people just to be seen. Our model is simple—everyone gets the same experience. No paywalls, no boosts, no artificial restrictions. In addition, nobody got nay points by sending a flower emoji! ” says Hancock. Endgame operates on its clear subscription model, which guarantees equality during usage, against the pressure of upgrading for better visibility. This puts up a fight against the industry’s business model of putting users in a position to pay just to be seen, making it one of the most user-friendly shifts for online dating for a long time.
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The Future of Dating: Less Swiping, More Meaning

There is a change coming as singles continue to leave traditional dating apps. People are now looking for platforms that ensure world attraction and not just lower metrics. The authentically instantiated demand is in itself increasing, and companies that fail to realize this soon could be the ones staying out. Dr. Renee states, “You get so many people that just burn out or feel miserable with dating apps because they fail to humanize the experience. But dating should be exciting and effortless, not a full-time job. That’s why we are going to make it all about fun and genuine interactions.” As the dating landscape continues to shift, one thing is certain: The coming wave of dating innovation will take the focus away from gamification and profit-driven algorithms to building real human connections. And for singles sick of mindless swiping, that is a welcome change.

The Psychological Toll of Dating Apps

Many singles feel they are emotionally drained by app-based dating, not to mention the frustrations stemming from endless swiping. With a human brain designed around the dopamine-driven cycle of matches, messages, and rejections, self-esteem and mental well-being are bound to be affected. The consequences of overusing dating apps can result in increased anxiety and depression and make most users feel lonely. The shallowness of interactions often renders users feeling disposable, breeding insecurities rather than providing a sense of confidence.

The Return of Authentic Dating

While dating apps continue to gear up for competitive years ahead, one thing’s becoming clearer: Singles want to meet and connect in a much deeper and more meaningful way. From unique platforms like Endgame and curated matchmaking services to in-person social opportunities, it’s safe to say that the dating world is swiping left to right. What we are trying to say is that love is not an algorithm, it’s human connections. 

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About The Author

Brianna Kamienski is a highly-educated marketing writer with 4 degrees from Syracuse University. With a comprehensive understanding of communication theory, she's able to craft meaningful work that conveys what clients want to say to their clients. Brianna is the proud mother of two boys, Chase and Cooper.

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