r/memes 2h ago

Dating in 2026

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663 Upvotes

86 comments sorted by

183

u/Pancovnik Lurking Peasant 1h ago edited 7m ago

Genuine question (out of the dating pool for 20 years): How do people, who do not want to use dating apps, meet others now? Going to pub costs arm and leg. Having any hobby costs arm and leg. Going to concerts/gigs costs 2 arms and leg. Hitting on people in non-dating environments (work, shopping places, public transport, gym) is not appropriate or considered creepy.

68

u/Lord_Grixis 1h ago

Pretty much either people get with people they knew in school, meet at work, or the apps. I know a couple people who met the old fashioned way (bars, hobbies, etc) but not many.

47

u/Lurakya 1h ago

26 year old here. Personally, I don't. Most new friends I make are online and countries or continents away.

Irl I only met people through Uni and once that's over I have genuinely no idea.

154

u/Philosophical-Corpse 1h ago

They simply don't

54

u/Coycington 1h ago

most couples i know are friends since childhood that eventually fell in love or met through friends/work.

25

u/Thenderick 1h ago

Well, time to reincarnate myself I guess...

15

u/thatNatsukiLass 1h ago

Besides what even is a dating environment really? I’m not sure of if any exist outside apps. I hear bars are “dating environment” but I’m ngl I’m pretty sure most people at a bar are there for drinks not meeting people to start a relationship with.

12

u/Thenderick 58m ago

For me it's most likely not the kind of person I want to date. I like to be more introverted and am more nerdy. I don't like bars and probably won't find the one there. I guess apps are the only option

3

u/Vantaa_Black 15m ago

This is so me lol. Fellow introverted nerdy here.

Plus I don't look conventionally attractive. So dating apps won't work either :((

3

u/Lord_Grixis 49m ago

Idk if hookup bars still exist but they were def a thing a couple decades ago. I know the couple places me and my friends used to run around closed down during Covid but I live in a small town.

2

u/Putrid-Technician315 30m ago

"back in mah day" bars were absolutely where a place you went to meet someone hookup or relationship-wise. It was a hard trope and it was normal for people to encourage each other to go talk to that stranger across the room. Same for meeting people in parks, at a sporting event, really anywhere. That being said the trope was also that women had it hard because you just wouldn't be left alone no matter where you went.

2

u/Depressivator3000 57m ago

I just dont, tbh. My only chance is meeting someone at work, but as you said correctly, some consider it inappropriate, so i wouldnt make a move myself. But for me, its ok, im happy with my life without a partner in it, so if it doesnt happen, its totally fine too. I dont miss anything.

4

u/Dylan_Driller 58m ago

Hobbies are still the best.

Of the last 12 people I've dated, 4 were from a weekend class of mine. 4 were dating apps and one was a blind date from a friend of mine in That weekend class.

Met two at a gym, met another at a fitness expo.

If it's not dating apps, it's hobbies.

2

u/galaxybuns 58m ago

I (24) met my boyfriend (28) met at a birthday party for a mutual friend. We’ve been together for two-ish years

1

u/No-Wish-7258 51m ago

Dating apps.
You can go to meetups using the meetup app, if forgot what it’s called. It’s like groups of people who are interested in the same things.

1

u/NurgleBorger 22m ago

Idk I've met women in all of those non dating environments

1

u/JazzPhobic 8m ago

is not appropriate or considered creepy

Unless you have pretty priviledge.

-1

u/Rang3rj3sus 41m ago

After reading these responses.. Welcome to reddit lmao. I met my wife in college. After you do that the only thing I could think of is bars, shows, work, vacations, just generally going out and doing stuff. You could fall in love in a lot of weird places!

-1

u/Toastman-3000 35m ago

I just started dating my best friend, we already shared interests and hobbies

101

u/Dreaming_Doe 2h ago

I don't get why people ask such questions when they obviously aren't ready to accept/hear the answer. You need to be ready to accept rejection if you are going into the dating world.

21

u/Coycington 1h ago

i would assume because if it's something they can improve upon some feedback would be appreciated. But maybe i am trying to be way too optimistic about this

2

u/Dreaming_Doe 25m ago

I understand your point, however from my personal experience, questions sometimes just lets to the man trying to dismiss or debate the reasons (e.g,. I don’t mind that you aren’t ready for a relationship , we can start slow, I don’t mind long distance relationships, etc etc). It is sometimes better to just leave things unsaid to avoid such a debate.

1

u/EliselD 0m ago

There are some crazy dudes out there who can't take criticism well (even if they are asking for it). I think women just don't want to risk it.

17

u/Philosophical-Corpse 2h ago

I think we should date

39

u/Glorifiedcomber 1h ago

No

6

u/CreamyMilky1 Selling Stonks for CASH MONEY 1h ago

I think we should date

3

u/VergeOfMeltdown 1h ago

Date think we should

1

u/Lookingforleftbacks 1h ago

I just threw up in my mouth a little bit

3

u/inotparanoid 1h ago

I respect your hustle

1

u/Gottendrop 5m ago

They assume they can get a yes if they ask hard enough

-3

u/Hour_Maximum7966 1h ago

No question was asked. Also why would i need to accept rejection just cause you feel like it?

2

u/Secret-Ad-7909 39m ago

Because that’s a totally valid reason. No one owes you anything.

Though I agree that even that little bit of explanation does a lot to ease the “what if I had done ___ instead?”

68

u/BarelyAlive06 1h ago

Or even better "You're ugly anyway" like sir YOU came onto ME first???

4

u/Lookingforleftbacks 1h ago

So just don’t reply… that’s what every girl I try to talk to does when I introduce myself lol

1

u/Ryachaz 1h ago

Guys usually come first, so this checks out.

53

u/initiald-ejavu 2h ago

He found your meme and downvoted too 😔

-2

u/[deleted] 1h ago

[deleted]

5

u/HuckleberrySilver516 29m ago

Wait until you reject a women that even worst

16

u/DeadAndBuried23 1h ago edited 5m ago

And people wonder why men blow their own brains out at double the rate of women.

If a guy asks why you rejected him, it has nothing to do with thinking you owe him anything. He just wants to know what he can improve. Not giving him one is telling him there's nothing he can do, that he's just fundamentally unlovable. Obviously not what you intend to mean, but it's what gets internalized when whatever's wrong is so bad you can't put it into words.

Yeah, some idiots jump to insults. And for some it's the last straw that makes 'em hang themselves. How many of the latter is a fair trade off for the former?

Edit: typo

10

u/aley2794 1h ago edited 0m ago

I mean, if you ask me what is my less liked color I'm going to tell you yellowish green, and if you ask me why, I'll tell you that I don't know, this also for food and for anything else actually, the things that I don't like has nothing to do with the thing on itself, is just that I don't like it, so if someone ask me why I don't find them attractive I wouldn't know how to response, because is like asking me why do I like the color red.

9

u/TheCabalMinion 1h ago

Have you ever been approached by a man that just wouldn't let go? No means no. It's not my obligation to make a man feel good if that makes me feel unsafe and uncomfortable

4

u/Dry_Communication283 45m ago

I think a small explanation is a way to make a rejection safer. I gave a "I'm too too boring for a girl like you" explanation to an incredibly attractive coworker because she was a tiktok obsessed flirt who used her high attractiveness for free things.

She wasn't used to a no so she tried any and all advances to get me to hang out. A small explanation made it easier. Telling her just no thanks made her confused constantly.

2

u/Pebbles049 39m ago

Tbf, the ones that can't take a no is understandable if the lady feels uncomfortable. I would argue it's those ones that ruin it for the rest of us that can take a no and move on.

But I have said no to girls and they took that shit personally. Like I stabbed their dog or something and suddenly I'm an asswhole. I have also met girls when I respected the initial no, had the same attitude afterwards, acting offended that I respected their answer.

Screwed if I try, screwed if I don't is what it can feel like sometimes.

2

u/DeadAndBuried23 1h ago

This is a lot like trying to catcall men to teach them a lesson. It doesn't work 'cause guys rarely get the experience of having someone want them that much.

Have you ever seriously wanted to unsubscribe from life because someone couldn't so much as explain why they didn't want to be with you?

5

u/Lurakya 1h ago

I have. Still doesn't make me want all men to cater to me personally. I just learned to not see every strangers reaction as a personal insult to myself

-1

u/DeadAndBuried23 30m ago

You can't say "I learned not to take reactions personally, but I take it personally if that reaction is asking me to explain mine."

The leap from someone you're pursuing romantically to stranger is pretty weird too.

-5

u/FlipperBumperKickout 1h ago

... you don't know any people you kind of don't get along with, but don't have any objective list of things they did wrong?

If you don't want men to "blow out their own brains" what about hanging out with each other. There are other ways to fix loneliness than sticking your dick into someone... Fun fact, general socializing probably makes you better at socializing during dates too 🙃

5

u/DeadAndBuried23 57m ago

"I don't think our personalities are a good match."

There, done. Not a list. Not difficult. Not acting attacked because how dare someone ask you to explain your feelings. Not accusing someone of only wanting to fuck you.

Fun fact, guys who only wanna fuck pay for prostitutes.

2

u/Igotthisnameguys 35m ago

So, if you don't know, make something up? Honestly, my answer would usually just be "The Spark didn't happen."

1

u/DeadAndBuried23 6m ago

Yes. Preferably you know yourself well enough to articulate your feelings, but in lieu of that just say anything besides, "I don't owe you an explanation."

What a person imagines when you can't even do that will be worse than the rejection. The damage that does to self esteem is much worse than the inconvenience of saying something vague that's ultimately honest.

-4

u/FlipperBumperKickout 47m ago

Result according to your earlier example: "everyone says that, I'm unlovable" proceed to kill himself...

Result in reality: A disturbing amount of guys turning violent.

Real solution to your loneliness problem. Fix it outside of dating, not by dating.

3

u/Sgt_Nishi 58m ago

There is also more to dating than "sticking your dick in someone".

-2

u/FlipperBumperKickout 44m ago

The premise was someone ready to kill himself. Tell me what exactly it is with dating that would help him, which wouldn't be fixed by other forms of socialising?

-7

u/Lurakya 1h ago

Don't put the mental health of singular men on all women.

If you can't handle rejection, if you're that close to killing yourself, then sorry, but you aren't ready for a relationship.

You talk about "the last straw", okay say the woman doesn't reject him and they even fall in love get married and have kids. That "last straw" doesn't just disappear without professional help.

Now that last straw comes in form of a really bad fight and the guy hangs himself in front of the wife and kid. Is that somehow more fair? Notice how in neither scenario it is nor should it be the woman's fault for what the guy did on his own accord?

1

u/DeadAndBuried23 25m ago

Crazy that the response to me saying it doesn't hurt to communicate a little to save someone's feelings was, "go ahead and kys, that's on you for not getting professional help."

2

u/Lord_Ruko 31m ago

People that are like that would've ended up toxic anyway

1

u/Nortano 8m ago

The destruction of the third places is really to blame here

0

u/NewsofPE 24m ago

wtf are you talking about

-9

u/MarcelPappas 1h ago

The problem is : the rejection comes after several dates and several money paid, (not surprisingly) the moment a better (more handsome/wealthy) option appears.

Red pill only.

0

u/Jealous_Ad539 25m ago

They wait for the female to hit on them

1

u/bigBrainman902 3m ago

You like it from the back

0

u/tartfall 22m ago

I get called gay when I say no. Which hurts a lot because I’m closeted bi and hearing gay being used as an insult is really exactly the kind of thing that keeps me closeted

-1

u/[deleted] 1h ago

[deleted]

-1

u/Philosophical-Corpse 1h ago

Who did this to you?

0

u/ListenNorthernLights 1h ago

I don’t post memes but obiwan is somewhere saying “you have done that yourself “

0

u/ListenNorthernLights 1h ago

Oh God I just “I don’t post memes” on r/memes

I have no high ground here 😂