ABC NEWS – ABC News’ Maggie Rulli reports from Lisdoonvarna, Ireland, at the largest matchmaking festival in Europe, where burnt out dating app users are looking for a second chance at love.
Category: Uncategorized
Soon New Yorkers Will Be Able to Take Their Chatbot Partners on a in-Person Date
NYPOST – London-based Eva AI is launching a pop-up café in Manhattan in February where visitors can take their AI chatbot partners on in-person “dates,” using phone stands at tables to interact with them. The company says interest in AI companionship is growing, citing data showing 23% of millennials and 33% of Gen Z have used AI as a romantic companion.
World-Class Service Providers
OPW – Do you have a world-class service you would like to offer to the dating industry? Are you using a world-class service provider that wants to broaden their customer base (and lower their fixed cost-base so they sharpen up their pricing)? Courtland Brooks helps dating companies grow, and we also help best-in-class service providers approach the dating industry in an intelligent manner.
For the price of a marketing manager you can get access to a seasoned team of online dating professionals. See Testimonials here. See pricing and service overview. Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com or simply book an opening call here.
The Rise of Singlehood Is Reshaping the World – in Good Ways and Bad
THE ECONOMIST – The speed with which the norm of marriage – indeed, of relationships of any sort – is being abandoned is startling. The failure of the young to settle down and procreate threatens to end Western civilization. For others, it is evidence of admirable self-reliance. Vogue recently suggested that for cool, ambitious young women, having a boyfriend is not merely unnecessary but “embarrassing“. As barriers to women in the workplace have fallen, their choices have expanded. Lots of people want to couple up but don’t, so something is amiss in the relationship “market”. Some think social media and dating apps have fostered unrealistic expectations. 7% of young singles say they would consider a robo-romance with an AI companion.
See full article at The Economist
Mark Brooks: Oy vey! The end is nigh. The rate of change will accelerate markedly in the next few years. I have 3 daughters. I am actively telling them they do not ‘need’ to marry, they do not ‘need’ to have children. They do need to be tigers in this new world. The trick in the future is to have hard assets, close friends, and live in a country that is very safe, with great hospitals.
All Over the Rich World, Fewer People Are Hooking up and Shacking up
THE ECONOMIST – Across America, 41% of women and 50% of men age 25-34 were single in 2023, double over the past 5 decades. From 2010-2022 people living alone rose in 26 of 30 OECD countries. In Europe, each new generation is less likely to be married. The relationship recession is also hitting those looking for a date or casual sex. Younger people are socializing less, dating less, and starting to have sex later in life and having less sex in general (as are most of us). More people feel able to choose to be single now than in the past, when there was far greater social and economic pressure to marry, a great emancipation of the past half-century. In a Pew survey, 62% of single women did not want to date, whereas only 37% of single men felt the same way. A high proportion of unmarried young men is strongly associated with elevated levels of violence and crime. There is some sort of dating-market failure, and society is changing in ways that are making large numbers of singles incompatible.
In Asia, singlehood is growing fastest, especially poor men and highly educated women. New technology fosters pickiness and absorbs time, leaving less for socializing. Time spent streaming, surfing, or gaming even seems to be displacing sex. Brits aged 18-44, have gone from copulating 5x per month in 1990 to 2x a month in 2021.
See full article at The Economist
Mark Brooks: The Economist tells it like it is. Where do we go from here? The mind always drifts to what is more interesting, and nothing is more interesting than your mobile phone, social media, Netflix, etc. Next up: by 2030, your best friend will be an AI. Then, what need will we really have for each other? (rhetorical / sarcastic / worried ! ). Unless we solve ‘the continuity problem’ in online dating in the more distant future (i.e. 2050), governments will step in and make dating/matchmaking an essential public utility. Sounds crazy, but it is a logical solution if private dating/matchmaking companies don’t evolve. People need us, but our incentive base is broken. Justin at Hinge is doing the right thing by developing Overtone. Also, Sync appears to be doing similar to solve the continuity problem, which will then allow is to move into the BIG phase of growth for online dating.
Online Dating Jobs Listing Update – December 2025
OPW – An update to the online dating jobs listing is live here.
Below, see a couple of this month’s most interesting offers:
Bumble – Director, Partnerships, Bumble Date
FFN – COO
Hornet – Country Manager / Turkey
Match Group – Sr. People Director
Matrimony.com – Chief of Staff
Muzz – Head of Trust & Safety
ParshipMeet Group – Director Group Controlling
Social Discovery Ventures – Chief Operations Officer
Tinder – Director, Communications
Together Light – COO
Do you have an idating industry job offer that is not included? Please, send it to tips@onlinepersonalswatch.com and we will add it to the list.
Karima Ben Abdelmalek: Innovating the Future of Online Dating With Happn
LTR – Mark Brooks sits down with Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO and President of happn, to delve into HelloGroup’s recent acquisition of the dating app. The conversation covers the app’s unique approach to location-based services, how happn differentiates itself in the competitive dating market, and the strategic changes implemented under Karima’s leadership. They also discuss the future plans for happn, focusing on deeper localization and enhancing user experiences, and how HelloGroup’s expertise will help facilitate these goals. Karima shares insights on maintaining the app’s core identity while adapting to evolving market demands.
[**See the video here on YouTube**]
The October LTR was kindly sponsored by Courtland Brooks
Bethenny Frankel Unveils “The Core,” a Vetted Social Club for Dating
BLOOMBERG – Bethenny Frankel is launching The Core, a dating platform designed as a vetted social club rather than a traditional app. Users must apply, be accepted, and stay actively involved in helping others make connections. The platform promises curated matches and strict standards—no ghosting, breadcrumbing, catfishing, or shady behavior. The focus is on accountability and meaningful introductions, though many operational details are still being finalized.
Is Your Company Saleable?
OPW – I mean, is it really an attractive business now? Can it be built into an attractive property quickly? Can it be ‘packaged’ for sale and run out to the top potential acquirers so they arrive at the gate at the same point in time? Perhaps my team and I can help.
For the price of a marketing manager you can get access to a seasoned team of online dating professionals. See Testimonials here. See pricing and service overview. Email mark@courtlandbrooks.com or simply book an opening call here.
Study Shows Singles Lower Standards When They Fear Staying Alone
PSYPOST – A study by Val Wongsomboon (FSU/Yale) and Amanda Gesselman (Kinsey Institute) found that when people imagine being single for several years, they become more willing to date someone with a dealbreaker trait. The specific length of time didn’t matter – just expecting to stay single made standards more flexible. The research also showed that people who view singlehood negatively are more likely to compromise on their boundaries.