Are First Dates Going Extinct?

Considering that there are more than 110 million single people in the United States, you’d think every cool date spot from Maine to Cali would be packed with twosomes meeting for the first time. Shockingly, not so. In fact, only 44 percent of unattached people went on an official first date last year, according to Match’s Eighth Annual Singles in America Survey. 

- Julie Vadnal

That raises the question: When did the first date begin to die off? In the past several years, as it started to take on a more serious meaning, says Helen Fisher, PhD, a biological anthropologist. “The first date is now seen as an expenditure of time, money, and energy,” she explains. “Instead, couples are starting out as friends or friends with benefits and getting to know each other or having sex before going out to dinner.”

Keeping things so low-key (“hey, you should come to this party...”) doesn’t take much commitment, which, for many, seems ideal in an app-heavy and flaky dating culture.

But here’s the truth: If you’re looking for a love that will last long-term, going on a real first date—as in, meeting one-on-one in a public place at a certain time with an actual agenda—is still one of the best ways to find it. Allow the experts to explain why.

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