The App That Will Take Over The Next 5 Years Wants You To Stop Online Dating
Gen-Z and Millennial dating habits could not be more opposite. The app that will bridge that divide wants you to stop swiping, all together. Could this work?
Today’s Friday Trend Report (the FTR) is about the stark difference between Millennial and Gen-Z dating habits. And my prediction for one app that could potentially change the way we date (and meet new friends) in the next 1-5 years.
You heard it here first 👀
Why this topic matters:
Gen-Z and Millennials are not monoliths but their user behaviors online can help us understand the way they use the internet and where it’s headed. If an app or platform can catch the growing difference between the two generations in how they date and meet contemporaries, and bridge the divide — then the future is in their hands.
Let’s discuss, coconuts 🥥 ⬇️
The Stark Difference Between Gen-Z & Millennial Dating Habits ❤️ ⚡️
Millennials were always treated as if our social media presence had to be a hidden secret to be ashamed of. I remember being told in high school that having a public Facebook page could be the reason I get rejected from an Ivy League college (as if I had a chance of getting in, anyways lol).
Millennials fell in love with the internet because it was the hidden fruit we weren’t supposed to eat, let alone enjoy.
So when dating apps like Grindr, Tinder and Bumble came around when we were entering adulthood — we weren’t put off by the shame and secrecy that would go in to using the apps, at least in their early years. If anything, their taboo nature made Millennials even more excited to be early adopters (even in private).
The more taboo or publicly rejected an app is, the more at-home Millennials feel using it.
Gen-Z and the Forced Digital Persona 💻
By the time Gen-Z was in middle school, social media platforms were no longer seen as “taboo”. And with everything going virtual in 2020, existing as a digital persona was no longer a recreation but rather a requirement. And from there, resentment grew.
Gen-Z was forced to be online: from virtual schooling to the pressure to be on social media to their job hunts as adults. Everything about their growing identities became one-dimensional and publicly available.
For Gen-Z, dating is the last frontier of their lives that is allowed to exist without being touched by a digital footprint. It is the one aspect of their life where they are not required to log-in to a website to prove that they exist.
Gen-Z’s Rejection of Dating Apps:
According to key insights from a 2023 study conducted by Generation Lab on 978 college students, 79% of respondents reported they do not use a dating app regularly.
And a 2023 Statista study found only 26% of U.S. dating app users are Gen-Z, while 61% are Millennials.
While these are only two studies and Gen-Z is not a monolith, it is a fascinating pattern to try and understand. And if it points to a true, universal feeling amongst a generation that was raised on their phones, what could it mean for the future of dating apps?
The Rise of IRL Events…But are they working? 😔
Swipe fatigue on dating apps and growing lack of safe, free third places to meet your contemporaries (malls, parks, etc…) has led to a spike in curated, IRL events.
Eventbrite logged 1.5 million searches for “singles events” last year alone, according to their “Niche to Meet You” report (LinkedIn summary here).
I went to one IRL event in 2023 that led to meeting two of my current best friends. It was a “Vanderpump Rules” watch party at a bar in Silverlake. I was lucky I heard about the event because the TikTok FYP algorithm worked it’s magic. But that felt like finding a needle in a haystack.
And since becoming single recently, I genuinely don’t know how I am going to meet a future partner in person.
The desire to meet someone in person, and not virtually, is something I feel strongly and I don’t know why. Maybe I am tapping into a subconscious shift here.
The problem is…unless I am going to a bar with friends, it feels like there is no organic way to meet a guy I might be interested in romantically. And even if I meet them in a bar, would we have that much in common?
Could an app successfully merge IRL dating with URL dating? 👀
Imagine you go to a concert and you notice someone you find cute across the room. Maybe they noticed you, too, but you aren’t sure. If you are like me, despite being super extroverted, when it comes to dating — you would never approach a stranger, let alone make eye contact with them.
What if there was a (safe) way to scroll through a list of people who just checked in to the same venue you are currently standing in? Like a coffee shop, a brewery, a concert venue.
And through icons on their photos, you could see who is open to dating and/or friendships. You can also select a conversation starter from a list of prompts to make the first move easier.
This app would encourage users to make the first move, while still in person, since there would be no way to swipe or message another user on the actual app.
Does this app exist? Almost ⏰
The reason I am so passionate about this topic is because my friends, Geneva and Nick, set out to create this app and it finally launches on May 27th, 2025.
The app name: “Court”
The idea for Court struck Geneva while she was at a brewery with friends, wishing there were a way to know which nearby strangers were actually single—without the awkward guessing game.
Geneva told me her tentative idea while we sat in the front room of a mutual friend’s house almost a year ago. It especially resonated once I became single after a long-term relationship and I would beg anytime I saw her in person to bring her idea to life for my own selfish desire.
I believe they are channeling an idea that is floating above us, ready to be born in the next 1-5 years. If they don’t create it, someone else will…
I truly believe that Court is tapping into a subconscious itch that young adults are feeling. The novelty of old school dating apps has worn off but there is no bridge to make IRL meetings any easier.
How you know an app will break big: it’s a disruptor.
If your first reaction is repulsion or confusion, that is a good thing. It means the app is a disruptor. Every app that breaks mainstream is one that was rejected by the general public upon first arrival.
Get in a strangers car? Never. Until Uber.
Sleep on a strangers couch? Never. Until AirBNB.
Spend hours on an app made for 15-second dance videos? Never. Until TikTok.
Take your daily commute in a car with no human in the drivers seat? Never. Until Waymo.
When a new app breaks mainstream, it’s not about it being accepted by the general public. It’s about it resonating with those that didn’t know they needed it.
Court launches on May 27th in the U.S and to get started, will be partnering with local businesses and established communities to help foster IRL connection amongst their patrons and members. Where it’s going is still unfolding, but every decision made is meant to take them one step closer towards their vision of recreating a society where meeting in person is as natural and comfortable as meeting online.
To be an early adopter, you can download Court in the App Store and follow on socials @court.app
A question for the comments ⬇️
If you are in a relationship, how did you meet your current partner?
this is very interesting-it reminds of almost like a utility feature for an NFT… bringing people together organically through similar interests. Thank you Coco for the alpha on the app! ❤️ ♒️