- Published
Checking in at a dating event in a bar in Guildford, Olivia Miller-Davis is understandably apprehensive.
asserted
Davis → publish → Guildford
Even bringing a friend with her doesn't remove the awkwardness at the start of the night.
asserted
bringing → bring → night
"It's always nerve-wracking when you're meeting new people," the 28-year-old admits before downloading an app that will match her to other daters based on their star signs.
asserted
that → meet → signs
This is speed dating 2026-style and Olivia, like many people we speak to, is here because she's fed up of "endlessly swiping" or as some describe it "app fatigue".
asserted
some → speak → it
She says she hates judging people with "really limited information and just a couple of pictures" because she doesn't feel she can "really fully commit" with so little to go on.
asserted
she → say → little
According to a recent study from online regulator Ofcom 11% of adults use dating sites but it suggests the time we spend on them is dropping, from a peak of almost four hours a month in 2023, down to three hours last year.
uncertain
we → accord → hours
Olivia's first match on the night is Edward and he agrees that recent dating trends leave him feeling cold.
asserted
trends → agree → him
"I'm fed up with apps," he says.
asserted
he → feed → apps
"I mean, they're designed so that you don't find 'the one', because they want you to come back and use the app forever.
asserted
you → mean → app
They don't want you to get married from the app.
asserted
you → want → app
"
The event is organised by Love at First Sign, a dating company that uses an app to match people based on astrological connection, but most people are just using it as an icebreaker.
asserted
people → organise → icebreaker
Director of events Lissy Cleminson says the way people date is changing and a big factor is more home working since Covid, which means people do not meet in offices or on the commute.
"The little meet-cutes don't happen so much when you're at home with your shirt up top and your pyjamas down bottom," she jokes.
asserted
she → say → bottom
As you may expect at a dating event many of the singles told us they were keen for that in-real-life or IRL experience.
uncertain
they → expect → experience
'Everyone's ready to mingle'
asserted
Everyone → mingle → ?
Candice Gallagher runs an account called @Candilicious and recently went to 10 different dating events in 10 weeks.
She describes herself as an entrepreneur and thinks in business terms dating events deliver "much greater return on investment".
asserted
events → run → investment
The 40-year-old says all too often dating online can lead to "chat graveyards" with very limited conversation.
asserted
dating → say → conversation
"At a dating event, everyone is single, everyone's ready to mingle, and your chances of having a good conversation are much greater."
asserted
chances → mingle → conversation
Many people at the event in Guildford agreed dating events were better value for money because "you get to meet a range of people" in person for a similar cost to one date from an app.
asserted
you → agree → app
These events typically cost around £15 to £30 and often include a drink and activity or icebreaking gimmick, in this case an app that is used throughout the night.
asserted
that → cost → night
The money factor
Olivia believes money plays a big factor in dating.
asserted
money → believe → dating
"I wasn't working for a bit because I changed careers and because of that I put dating on hold."
asserted
I → work → hold
Olivia remembers thinking it "couldn't be a priority" and feeling she needed to wait until she was "earning enough" before dating again.
asserted
she → remember → enough
She is not alone in finding dating expensive.
asserted
dating → find → ?
More than a quarter of daters surveyed by Barclays suggested rising costs had changed how they date.
uncertain
they → survey → Barclays
And a couple of recent studies suggest the monthly cost of dating - from apps to entertainment and clothes - can add up to around £130.
asserted
cost → suggest → 130
Those running apps are quick to point out online is still a big part in the way people meet.
asserted
people → run → way
New research from Match Group, which owns Tinder and Hinge, suggests that out of those who had ever had a romantic relationship, about 21% of baby boomers surveyed met their most recent partner at a pub, bar or club.
uncertain
% → own → pub
The survey of 3,007 single people also suggests that of those who had ever had a relationship, 20% met their most recent partner on a dating app and 20% met through friends.
uncertain
% → suggest → friends
Chine Mmegwa, head of strategy, corporate development and operations at Match Group, said Tinder has made tweaks to its service in the past year to win back younger daters.
asserted
Tinder → say → daters
As well as helping users find out more about each other in advance of dates, through interactive music and astrology features, it has introduced "double date mode" for friends who want to date together.
asserted
who → help → friends
And she said Tinder is doing more to encourage people to connect IRL.
asserted
Tinder → say → people
"They want to be in person.
asserted
They → want → person
You've seen us launch events across the US and now the UK.
asserted
us → see → US
We are bringing IRL experiences into the app.
asserted
We → bring → app
"What we're doing is putting IRL into our experience.
asserted
doing → do → experience
And so we are bringing that gap to what they're looking for in person, using the apps."
In Guildford, Olivia says her night was a success because she met some men she might want to go on a first date with.
uncertain
she → bring → date
When pushed by the BBC on whether she thought she had met "the one", she laughs and becomes understandably guarded.
"
asserted
she → push → one
No, I'm not going to name anyone specific.
asserted
I → go → anyone
But you'll be invited to the wedding if there is one!"
asserted
you → invite → wedding
The Aporia
