MEDIUM – Every president brings societal change. Hot topics in 2025…
Radicalization Leading To Loneliness – Hate propaganda works, and it sells. Unfortunately, it's addictive and changes who the users are as people. It makes finding new friends harder than before. My remedy for this is simple: be aggressively friendly.
Rise of 'Lavender Marriages' – i.e. Heterosexual marriages between two homosexual people, often with the goal of hiding the spouses' sexuality. Traditional, romantic marriage has become a major risk, especially for women.
MINOs – Women increasingly don't want to bother with marriage. Divorce is more expensive and difficult to obtain. Women will want to have relationships with men, but not make it legal. They may do a Civil Union or become MINOs – Married in Name Only.
Invite-Only Social Media + Private Dating Apps – More people are questioning their social media use. Social media is pretty poisonous. There will be new social media sites that require an ID to join, and invite-only dating apps. e.g. Raya.
The 4B Movement – 4B is no marriage, no children, no dating, no sex. Dating has become risky, especially for women who have a lot of good things in their lives. The rollback of women's rights will lead more women to eschew relationships with men altogether.
Private Social Clubs And Lounges – People are nervous about approaching people the old-fashioned way. I've seen private invite-only workspaces, private nightclubs, as well as private dinner clubs pop up. Privacy is a major selling point. People [need] a place where they can feel safe socializing.
Monetized Interactions – With dating becoming an increasingly risky endeavor, you're going to see a lot more people paying for human interaction. Both men and women will increasingly be willing to pay for AI chatbots. Chat services from adult entertainers and models. Parasocial relationships. Paid dates and escorts. Monetized scheduled outings where people dine together as a way to meet new people.
by Ossiana Tepfenhart
See full article at Medium
Mark Brooks: A dystopian viewpoint. Is this realistic? Some of my team members would agree, alas. There's an opportunity to meet people where they're evolving towards, with truly insightful and enabling product design.
THE GUARDIAN – Ofcom reports a decline in the use of top UK dating apps like Tinder, Hinge, Bumble, and Grindr, with Gen Z increasingly favoring real-life connections. Tinder lost 600K users, and Hinge dropped by 131K since 2023. Analysts suggest the novelty of dating apps is fading for younger users, who now romanticize in-person interactions. Apps still appeal to younger adults, reaching 18% of 18-24-year-olds, but challenges like safety concerns and overwhelming choices persist. Match Group acknowledges the shift, aiming to create lower-pressure, more authentic experiences for Gen Z users.
