New Dating Trend: Letting Mom Run Your Tinder

Modern dating is hard, so why not hand the whole task off to your parents? What could possibly go wrong? 👀

According to the Wall Street Journal, Gen Z and millennial singles have started outsourcing their love lives to their parents.

People in their 20s and 30s are letting Mom (and sometimes Dad) take the reins on dating apps like Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge… because if you’re gonna be disappointed and rebuffed by strangers, it might as well be a family affair.

Failing to find someone can be exhausting

Struggling to find your soulmate isn’t a new problem, but online dating has made the search feel like a neverending slog. When you’ve spent years swiping yourself into oblivion, you suddenly find yourself saying, “You know what? Let’s see if Mom can do any better.”

Does mother really know best?

A 31-year-old woman the WSJ talked to said she has to reject a lot of her mom’s picks because they just don’t vibe. “She’s picking guys who are wearing Gucci and more designer, put-together apparel. And I’m like, okay, but how are they gonna do on a hike?”

Success stories are rare but real

Another woman said her dad convinced her to give a British guy a shot – even after the potential suitor didn’t respond to her messages right away. They started FaceTiming daily, and he picked her up from the airport when she moved to London for grad school. Now they’re a couple. Chalk one up for Team Dad!

Parents finally get to experience dating in 2025

Whether it’s good or bad, the experiment is giving parents a front-row seat to the chaos their kids have been dealing with. Suddenly, their “why can’t you find anyone” mantra is giving way to “Wow, I see why you can’t find anyone.”

One mom was stunned by how many men on dating apps proudly posed in full hunting gear, or mid-chug with a handle of cheap liquor. (Ma’am… that is the modern courting ritual. Just wait until they start texting. 🍆)

Is it worth a try, or is it just too risky?

Before you jump in with both feet (and both parents), remember this: If you let Mom into your relationship before it even gets started, there may be no going back.

So, the question is are you desperate enough to let your mom play matchmaker? Or will you continue to suffer in solitude, stubbornly swiping into the void?

There’s also a third option. Maybe just sack up, Gen Z, and resign yourself to the idea of dying alone like the rest of us. 😘