In the face of economic crises, climate anxieties, and global wars, people are seeking solace through connection. They want to be sure someone will hold their hand in the face of hardship. As a result, they have higher expectations of care and understanding from interactions with brands, social systems, and p...

As the new post-pandemic normal settles in and people adapt to a context of uncertainty, constant adversities, and pessimism, we are moving away from a moment in which consumers expected brands to rise up to society's challenges and into one when they’re demanding genuine allyship from businesses.

Offering an alternative to those escaping hook-up culture, Hinge succeeds by prioritizing meaningful and consistent connections. The app holds loyal users through conversation-stirring prompts, helpful filters, and an anti-swipe algorithm that urges conscious intention over temporary validation.

Cuffed addresses swipe fatigue by allowing users to match with only one person at a time. This approach aims to foster more meaningful connections, focusing on individual conversations, increasing the likelihood of long-term romance, and reducing cognitive overload from an overload of options.

From digital body language to fears of rejection (not to mention screen grabbing), and the pandemic robbing many of face-to-face dating experiences, the world of Gen Z dating is a complicated place. What are the new rules and rituals of dating – and how are they shaped on social media?

When it comes to dating, what we want and how we want it is changing – post-pandemic, people want tangible relationships. After Tinder had its most swipes in history on the first Sunday after the onset of COVID-19, many have grown tired of swiping and are seeking more from the dating landscape.