If you think a meet-cute is going to save the state of your dating life, think again. Dating nowadays sucks.
The apps create a false sense of abundance while also leaving you drained from a lack of meaningful or compatible connections.
“Maybe I’ll just meet someone in person,” you say. “I’ll put myself out there more,” you insist to yourself.
But unfortunately, even meet-cute can go sideways.
That’s the wake-up call this hopeful woman received. It reminded her that the same people who show up on dating apps exist out in the real world.
Meet-cute goes sour
In a viral video with more than 550,000 views, dating content creator Meg (@smegss4) shared an unfortunate yet relatable interaction she had with a dating prospect.
In the clip, Meg explains that she popped into Whole Foods after the gym. There, she happened to meet a cute and flirty man and exchanged numbers.
He followed up via text to invite Meg out for a coffee date, which she declined and tried to redirect to a dinner date.
“I don’t like coffee [dates]. I find it cheap, I find it lazy, I find it way too easy,” Meg said. She added that coffee is something she does with friends, not potential lovers.
“I’ve never smashed off a coffee date most importantly. So it’s kinda a waste of both our times,” Meg told her viewers.
While the man’s initial response to her turning down a coffee date was “aggressive,” Meg said that she initially interpreted it as flirty and fun due to his in-person demeanor.
She explained to him that she prefers dinner dates. “Not because I can’t afford it, but I think someone can keep their polite act up during coffee or cocktails but dinner allows more interaction with social environments and time,” she texted him.
Meg told him it was important for her to see if a person is rude to the waitstaff, if they have allergies, or if they’re generally pleasant company.
Instead of taking in what Meg said, whether he agreed with it or not, the man immediately lashed out. He replied that he didn’t even know Meg yet she was already asking for dinner.
“What is wrong with you?” he texted her back.
Meg still thinks the guy is kidding and jokes that the chances of a guy murdering a woman at dinner are lower.
“You are [expletive] insane and a nut job. Good [expletive] bye !!! Women like you are gross,” he responded.
That’s when it finally clicked for Meg that he was being serious.
“So, ladies, they’re not all online. They’re also in Whole Foods, these crazy men,” Meg said.
The current state of dating
The number of single people hit record highs in recent years, and marriage rates are at some of the lowest numbers since the government began tracking this data way back in 1867, CNN reported.
While dating apps have made it easier to meet people, Kara Alaimo, a communication professor at Fairleigh Dickinson and social media expert, says they’re less likely to lead to a long-term connection or marriage.
As of 2019, only 12% of Americans had a committed relationship with someone they met online. And only 38% of single women are looking to date or pursue a relationship (many delete and redownload dating apps in frustration). This is a much lower number compared to 61% of single men.
Viewers fault them both
Many viewers pointed out that a coffee date is fine for a first date.
“He def overreacted, but a coffee date for 2 people that just met at whole foods is 100% an appropriate first date,” a top comment read.
One user wrote, “I love a coffee date as a meet and greet. I absolutely DO NOT want to be stuck over a whole dinner with someone I find that I don’t like. I want to leave immediately with no stress or scene.”
“Girl you did too much,” another replied. “Coffee date is fine you scared him off.”
“Him getting aggressive was his red flag. Your red flag is not accepting coffee as a way to get to know somebody,” one said.
Others, however, called out the man for lashing out.
“Everyone is so upset about the coffee date part but not his horrible overreaction to her preferring dinner? Lol,” another wrote.
“the way my jaw literally dropped??? why was he so mad lmao,” a commenter added.
@smegss4 Dating IRL #greenscreen #fyp #nyc #dating #newyork #storytime #nycdating #single #text #datingstorytime #storytime ♬ original sound – Smegss
The Daily Dot reached out to Meg for comment via Instagram and TikTok direct message.
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