{"id":164716,"date":"2026-02-14T14:45:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-14T14:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/164716\/"},"modified":"2026-02-14T14:45:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-14T14:45:07","slug":"austin-singles-share-their-perspectives-on-dating-apps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/164716\/","title":{"rendered":"Austin singles share their perspectives on dating apps"},"content":{"rendered":"

TEXAS \u2014\u00a0The dating world has changed quite a bit in the last few years between the pandemic, social media and online dating. According to Pew Research, 30% of Americans<\/a> say they have used a dating site or app at some point.<\/p>\n

Millions of singles have turned to online dating to find a match. Having so many options can feel both exciting and overwhelming. Singles in Austin have mixed feelings about meeting people virtually.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe dating landscape sucks,\u201d said Syvo Hatton, who has been single for a few years. \u201cI\u2019m not gonna lie. Dating apps\u2026 bad idea.\u201d<\/p>\n

Despite Austin ranking in the top 10 for best spots to date<\/a> in the U.S., people on the streets of the Capital City say this tech hub is littered with singles ready to mingle online.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t feel comfortable being perceived and swiped upon,\u201d said Kenedy Harris, who recently became single. \u201cI think meeting people organically and naturally is the way, for me at least. I think dating apps make me really uncomfortable in a way.\u201d<\/p>\n

According to E-Harmony, about 80 million Americans<\/a> are looking to the internet for love.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Dating coach Sabrina Zohar says it\u2019s not all bad news when it comes to the dating apps. Amassing more than 3 million followers across Instagram<\/a> and TikTok<\/a>, Zohar provides dating advice through her platforms and podcast.<\/p>\n

\u201cI met my partner on an app, and I think it is a beautiful way to expose you to other people you might not necessarily have in your circle, but I think if we\u2019re not using it with intention, and if we\u2019re not using it with a real understanding of the power that this app has that\u2019s, I think, where we can get into that, \u2018Whatever\u2026 I\u2019ll just find somebody else, or I\u2019ll ghost, or this doesn\u2019t matter,\u2019 because we see them as avatars and less as people,\u201d Zohar said.<\/p>\n

She says dating apps are just another tool to meet a potential match.\u00a0<\/p>\n

There was a pandemic-era boom in popularity with apps like Tinder and Hinge, but despite that trend, some prefer the good old fashioned natural connection.<\/p>\n

\u201cI work on Sixth\u00a0Street anyways, so I meet a lot of people,\u201d Harris said. \u201cI\u2019m a body piercer, so I\u2019ve been meeting them all, all kinds of ways.\u201d<\/p>\n

No matter how Texans are finding love, there\u2019s always that one common hesitancy.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s the fear of rejection,\u201d Hatton said. \u201cWe all have been rejected, and I think that\u2019s a big key.\u201d<\/p>\n

Zohar encourages those seeking a relationship to address their anxieties.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf I could share anything, work on your emotional regulation, work on coming back home to yourself, work on being O.K. with who you are in your body so that you can make choices from a place of empowerment and not just, \u2018do they choose me, but do I choose them?\u2019 and \u2018does this work for me?\u2019 is a really beautiful place to be because \u2018I want you in my life, but I don\u2019t need you in my life,\u2019\u201d Zohar said.<\/p>\n