Ghosting, gaslighting, love bombing, negging, paperclipping, breadcrumbing… the list of toxic dating trends seems to go on and on.

The chaos of online dating and the hyper-competitive, unrealistic landscape it creates can often feel overwhelming and out of control for many people that are looking for love.

But according to a CBS and YouGov survey of 1,980 Americans about their love lives – 86% believe that true love exists and 67% say they have experienced it themselves. The search for wholesome, intentional, and meaningful relationships isn't over just yet.

With modern dating, particularly the online type, often leaving people experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions, it seems as if real-world dating is leaning towards being playful, meaningful, and fun.

Three key insights:

• More than 323 million people worldwide use some kind of dating app, but not all of them are looking for a full-on relationship.
• 78% of dating app users feel stressed out and let down by incompatible matches, with single people going on an average of six failed dates per year.
• Research from Hinge shows that 61% of the app's UK users experience dating fatigue.

Extended reading:

🐶 Golden retriever boyfriends – aka men that are loyal, loving, sweet, and fun to be around – are an antidote to toxic online dating stereotypes.

📵 The world of online dating is leaving people feeling burnt out, with many singletons finding that the non-stop scrolling, chatting, and ghosting is taking a toll.

💕 It's predicted that 2023 will welcome dating that challenges norms and finds balance, with positive romance winning out over a lack of connection.

This was spotted on The Long Read, our monthly newsletter showcasing bite-sized cultural analysis of the newest (and strangest!) behaviours we’ve been tracking at Canvas8 – sign up here.