At this stage, many of us have tried online dating. In fact, in 2021, 323 million someone globally used dating apps as their main avenue of meeting new people. It’s now the go-to method for finding romantic partners and the first port of call for most when seeking a new relationship, but the apps might not be top-of-mind for finding new friends.
Apps for finding friends are out there, though. There are now a bunch of apps designed to help people make friends. From Bumble’s ‘BFF’ mode which was the first to really go mainstream, to Peanut which helps mums make friends, to Patook, Wink, and Swipr, there are multiple online platforms for people to find the right friendships for them.
Loneliness in young people has increased over the last few years, with 40 percent of 16 to 24-year-olds in the UK reporting impression lonely «very often». In total, 45 percent from adults getting sporadically, possibly otherwise usually lonely in England. This could be, in part, to the difficulty of forming new friendships as an adult without the help of apps. A reality most people face in their 20s is that friendships are hard to come by when they’ve not been somewhat «assigned» to you – the way friendships occur when you’re younger, because of school and clubs. It’s something we don’t realise is difficult until we’re in the pits of it. Continue reading