13 Reasons Why Dating Is Getting Worse For Men
March 6, 2026
Dating doesn’t just feel “hard” right now; it feels like a whole second job with worse benefits. A 2026 Institute for Family Studies survey found that only 31% of young adults are “active daters” (dating at least once a month), and 52% reported that financial constraints prevent them from dating as dating culture expects. If you feel like you keep trying and nothing sticks, you’re not imagining it. Pew Research Center also found 63% of men under 30 call themselves single (vs. 34% of women the same age).
I’ve watched good guys tap out because they feel like they must compete with an algorithm, inflation, and a stranger’s trauma history… all before the appetizer arrives. The same 2026 Institute for Family Studies report said “dating confidence is low,” and only about 1 in 3 young adults said they trust their dating skills. So yeah, dating is getting worse for men in ways that actually show up in the data.
