Sick of dating apps, millennials and gen Z are throwing flirting parties'

"The first and only time I've used dating apps was in the spring of 2021. I'd just moved to Los Angeles and wanted to see more of the city. But I soon grew tired of the actors, musicians and DJs who hounded me to attend their events; not to mention I didn't feel safe with total strangers and I'm particular about hygiene."

"But ever since my parents cut me off from AOL chatrooms in middle school, I've never had trouble meeting people IRL. I'm a social creature who likes to meet people in the wild: I've gotten dates from chatting people up at concerts, dance parties, soccer games I even met one ex in a cemetery, which may have foreshadowed our love's bitter end."

"Connolly wrote about the party for the Cut, where Hayley Byrnes, who is single, read it. Byrnes, a TV writer's assistant, decided she, too, wanted to bring back flirting. I had this deep-seated desire to watch other people flirt, said Byrnes, 31. I texted a bunch of friends that I wanted to do something like this, and was encouraged by how excited everyone was."

"Byrnes' flirting party took place in the lush, spacious back yard of her home in north-east LA. She prompted guests to bring single friends they could vouch for. More than 150 people showed up, representing a broad spectrum of gender, race and sexuality including me. At the entrance, a greeter handed out heart-shaped stickers. Any available person received a designated number; asterisks denoted those in open relationships."

After moving to Los Angeles in spring 2021, the narrator tried dating apps but grew tired of persistent performers, felt unsafe with strangers, and prioritized hygiene. The narrator has long preferred meeting people in-person at concerts, dance parties, and sports, and once met an ex in a cemetery. Inspired by curated events, Hayley Byrnes organized a Bring Back Flirting Party in northeast LA, asking guests to bring single friends they could vouch for. More than 150 attendees represented diverse genders, races, and sexualities. Entrance procedures included heart-shaped stickers, numbered availability, and asterisks marking open relationships.

Read at www.theguardian.com