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Download, delete, repeat: For some Memphians, dating apps are a relentless cycle. For others, they’re a labor of love.

By , Daily Memphian Updated: November 16, 2025 9:11 AM CT | Published: November 16, 2025 4:00 AM CT

In a 2022 Pew Research Center survey, 53% of respondents ages 18-29 reported using a dating app at least once. While it’s become more common, many Memphians lament their experiences on the apps, but sometimes a shift in perspective can go a long way.

One single said Memphis is different from other cities in that many people typically meet potential partners through their already-existing social groups. There are not as many people moving into the area, as in some of the larger U.S. metros. 

“ ... People seem to build connections by degrees of association. You meet people from your church, from your gym, from this and that.”

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Nick Lingerfelt

Nick Lingerfelt

Nick Lingerfelt has written for Focus Mid-South Magazine, StyleBlueprint, Salon and At Home Memphis & Mid South. When he was a student at the University of Memphis, he was editor-in-chief of The Daily Helmsman, the school’s student newspaper.

Also while a student at the U of M, he received the Otis Sanford Outstanding Journalism Student award and the 2nd Place Marc Perrusquia Investigative Journalism Award for a story about the demographic makeup of the school’s sports teams.


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