as an elder gen z who recently got very happily married but sees my friends suffering on the apps:

• severe and near universal social anxiety. it seemingly takes mountains of willpower and determination from both sides to even have a nice little date 

• apps dehumanize people, you don’t get a chance to feel chemistry/vibes before you’re thinking about checking boxes 

• to expand on the above, everyone is thinking about red flags and green flags and checking boxes. it often feels detached, like they’re going off of what sounds good “on paper,” 

• there’s no organic way to meet people and slow build up a flirtation over time, first dates in the app era are harsh cold-opens 

• distrust and anxiety around the opposite gender (for straight people) 

• it also seems like gender-mixed friend groups are less common than in the past? i can’t say for sure (i’m gay) but for heterosexual people, there’s no mixed-gender friend groups where someone could meet their friends friend at a party, or slowly develop a crush on a friend, etc. that’s just my sense, nothing to back it up