166 points

I assume years of collectively crying about it online has made something as simple and natural like dating seem like this unachievable task.

Not sure if it’s just me, but I feel like young people are less capable than ever to socialise. I thought I was a social pariah, but I don’t have shit on some people out there.

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109 points

I think a big part of it is online dating is just how it’s done these days.

But yes, we’ve done a great job of over-complicating something as simple as human interaction.

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66 points

I think so too. Online dating is just too convenient. It’s easier to arrange a date while playing video games than going into a club or other places you don’t like to begin with. I won’t lament those places dying out. Fuck them, never felt comfortable there.

But online dating should have made things easier not worse. Then again those sites aren’t free of blame too.

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80 points

The problem with online dating sites is that they have the wrong incentive. They want to make money, not bring people together into lasting relationships.

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34 points

I was a complete social reject in middle and high school so I don’t even know how to people but I just assumed that was just me and my miserable circumstances apparently a lot of people have the same problem?

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4 points
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Same, I struggle with people. I think it’s just that our kind of people are more active online.

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16 points

There’s no third places where you can just loiter.

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7 points

From what I’ve seen/heard, it’s not specifically the ‘crying.’ It’s a general effect from online life. Online activities are much, much easier than in person. Want to feel a connection to someone? Here’s vloggers, talking straight at you in painfully earnest tones about everything in their life. Want someone to entertain you? Here’s half a dozen companies fighting to be the one you turn to. Hungry? Forget cooking. Here’s delivery options from everywhere. Horny? Porn! It’s all a click away and you don’t even need to put on pants. If getting a need met enough to get you to tomorrow takes no effort, many people aren’t going to put in the work to get, not even a guarantee, but only a chance at something better.

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143 points
*

Well when men keep hearing “don’t approach us”, we shouldn’t be shocked when men don’t approach people.

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58 points

Step 1- be attractive.

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50 points

Step 2 - don’t be unattractive.

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16 points
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I’m at 0/2 so far are there any more steps?

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14 points
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Just be funny and not a piece of shit. My wife is so gorgeous, people immediately know I have a good sense of humor and I’m supportive. I’m certainly not rich.

Granted, this is not a good approach for the apps. You need to be able to sell yourself in person. Best dating strategy in this case is making many friends, and some of them will be charmed into attraction. If I were dating, speed dating would probably be workable for this approach.

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2 points
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  • Step 1. Be courteous
  • Step 2. Interact with people in general
  • Step 3. Ask our the people you’re genuinely interested in, and feel you have some kind of connection with, respectfully, knowing rejection is okay

Repeat until you get a date.

Being attractive helps a lot. Obviously. But you can put effort into your appearance. More than anything your personality is the thing that will get you a date.

Having tried Tinder 12 years ago, once, around the time I became an adult, why you’d choose it over asking people out in real life is beyond me. Especially if you’re not very attractive.

The meta is all off haha

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-3 points
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If there is one thing the internet has overwhelmingly seceded at it’s convincing people that looks are absolutely everything. A lot of people I know tend to take their dating app experience as solid evidence of their romantic inaptitude. Even when it’s all too well known they are scams designed to keep you on their platform for as long as possible.

I know that preaching about stepping up to women may feel like the same way as saying: “Just be attractive, bro.” And if it does, to that I say: Do it and practise it for the sake of it. “That looks like a nice person, let’s find out what they’re about, for no damn reason at all.”

Anyway, my two cents. And if it helps whenever you’re scared of striking up a conversation just keep in mind: “The alternative is dating apps.”

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19 points
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At the same time, lots of men are really shitty when they “approach” women.

“Don’t approach us” is a response to men’s behaviour, not the other way around.

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11 points

So yeah don’t approach women, got it.

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-5 points
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Very incel-y, but sure.

Or, you could take it as a statement with the subtext that it clearly has, which is “dont approach us if youre going to be an asshole.”

If you would rather stew in bitterness than adjust to the above, the first option is likely better for everyone.

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-19 points

Cry me a river. I’ve never heard a women say “don’t approach me”, but I’ve heard many say “don’t be a douche” and “stop thinking you’re a fucking victim”.

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27 points

You already forgot the bear in the woods?

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1 point

Apparently you already forgot their reasoning behind it. A bear is a known quantity. Humans can lie to gain your trust, then turn on you. They weren’t saying all men are bad, they were saying that meeting a stand man alone in the woods - you have no idea how this person will act.

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-9 points

IDK women are not scared of me. Maybe the problem is you? Maybe you’re not the victim you think you are and you’re just an ass?

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-16 points

The fact that yall are still this mad about this just proves that the entire point behind the thought experiment is right.

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121 points

I keep saying this cause it’s a take a lot of people gloss over. I haven’t dated in a while because I’m too broke to add anything else to my budget, dive bars included. Dating takes time and money, and if I get more of either, I’m using it to better my situation before thinking about dating.

In a time where real wealth is dwindling for most young men, I can imagine I’m not alone on this.

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15 points

Going through the same problem, I was in uni during COVID, when it hit many things in my life changed or left so I shut down and unfortunately couldn’t complete my degree in the end. Now I’m just job hunting and rebuilding and while I do feel pretty lonely at times, I realise I can’t even consider talking to a girl romantically until I can rebuild myself (my own choice). Luckily I have this close female friend who i can talk to makes me feel a little less alone

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13 points

Life advice from an old’ish dude: find a girl when you are broke. She will always love you, not the money. She will also love you in hardship and she won’t care if you go for a walk or watch Netflix because it’s cheaper. :)

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94 points

Men don’t want to be branded ‘creepy’ and women have constantly stated they want to be left alone. Men listened.

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82 points

Every time I see an article like this I think who fucking cares? Like what’s going on with men? Its a generational and cultural thing its not men’s fault. Dating sucks, people get rejected in ultra harsh ways, sometimes being filmed and then posted on social media for trying to ask someone out. If I was in the age range to be dating I wouldn’t bother.

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40 points

It’s a problem to have so many single, disaffected men out there

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32 points

Might be a good time to downplay the importance of a relationship for a happy life then instead of trying to push the message that your life sucks if you don’t have one.

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23 points

Maybe being alone works for some people, but the desire for intimate relationships is a biological drive in human beings

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12 points

Yup and it’s a problem that only becomes worse over time

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1 point

how do you know they are disaffected. Maybe they are single and just fine with it.

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2 points

We all know that isn’t true

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1 point

“Influence” numbers of Andrew Tate & Musk says otherwise. I’m also assuming a large following of those two are unhappy single men.

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1 point
*

The first rule of…

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1 point

Dude, you’re not supposed to talk about Fight Club.

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5 points

Women might care?

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19 points

Then perhaps we should expect changes/shifts in women’s behavior to bridge the gap?

I don’t think that cultural evolution is happening - look at Bumble, which had its premise/differentiation with women making the “first move.” They eventually had to nix the feature, because…women didn’t want to make the first move; they wanted to be pursued. Meanwhile, apps in general are just a minefield of emotional rejection, while Corporate ownership drags men through the muck as long as possible to get those $$$. So most men simply stop using apps and simply wait for some kind of IRL meet-cute. And that sparingly happens in a society that has very, very few places for non-commercial social overlap.

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11 points

Commercial dating apps are a failed idea. We need something better

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8 points

Then they get to step up and approach men for a change.

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7 points

well then they should step up and start asking people out instead of waiting for guys to do it.

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0 points
*

people get rejected in ultra harsh ways, sometimes being filmed and then posted on social media for trying to ask someone out.

Are you sure this isn’t exaggerating it a little? This may be anecdotal but I have never dealt with any such harsh rejection within my social circles (neither have my associates). What I’m trying to get at is that there may be a vocal minority that gets a lot of online attention.

Then again if thousands upon thousands of people see such a post (like on say r/Tinder) and take it as a common phenomenon it would still have the same effect.

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2 points

Really the fear of it happening is enough. All you have to do is have it happen once, or know someone that it happened to, or see a video of it for that to scare you off of even trying.

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1 point

That sounds like an irrational fear if you ask me. Like with fear of flying.

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