I think it speaks to a deeper shift in how we think about connection and authenticity. It’s not so much that dating apps are “dying” per se, but rather that the way people want to connect is changing, especially for Gen Z. Think about it: dating apps, in their original form, presented this illusion of endless choice, this almost transactional approach to finding love. Swipe left, swipe right, based on a few pictures and a short bio. It’s like, are we trying to find a life partner or ordering takeout? The article touches on this: the swipe mechanism, inspired by behavioral experiments, can feel a bit…icky. It’s gamified intimacy, and after a while, that starts to lose its appeal.

So where are people going? Back to basics, in a way! Remember how people used to meet before the internet? Through friends, hobbies, shared interests? That’s what we’re seeing a resurgence of, but with a digital twist. Platforms like Strava or Letterboxd aren’t designed for dating, and that’s precisely why they work! They’re built around a genuine passion, a common ground. You’re connecting with someone over a shared love of running, or film, or a particular video game. You’re seeing their personality, their interests, their values, before you even consider whether there’s romantic potential.

That’s the key: the emphasis is on connection first, romance second. It’s a more organic, lower-pressure way to build relationships. You’re not “marketing” yourself to a gallery of strangers; you’re simply being yourself, doing what you love, and seeing who you connect with along the way. The article mentions a couple who met in World of Warcraft. That’s not an accident! When you’re working together to achieve a common goal in a game, you’re seeing how someone handles stress, how they communicate, how they work as a team. Those are incredibly valuable insights that you wouldn’t get from swiping through a profile.

Now, dating apps aren’t blind to this trend. They’re trying to adapt, launching niche apps based on shared interests, introducing features that encourage more meaningful interaction. But the fundamental problem remains: dating apps are, at their core, designed for a specific purpose: to find a date. That creates a certain level of pressure and expectation that can be stifling. The beauty of these other platforms is that they’re not explicitly about dating. They’re about community, connection, and shared passion. And sometimes, romance blossoms in those unexpected places. So no, I don’t think dating apps are necessarily “dying,” but they’re definitely being challenged. And that challenge is forcing us to rethink what we want from our relationships and how we want to connect with others in the digital age. The integration of AI into dating apps may be interesting as well to see what happen later!

Think of Photopea as an incredibly useful Swiss Army knife. It’s not going to replace specialized tools for every single situation, but it’s amazing how much it can do in a pinch. The fact that it runs in a browser is a HUGE win. I’ve used it on Chromebooks, at work when I didn’t have Photoshop installed, and even on my phone in an emergency. You can import Adobe files, this means that you can use your files, edit and export.

The ads are definitely a trade-off for the free price, but honestly, for $5 a month to get rid of them and get some extra features, it’s a no-brainer if you use it even semi-regularly. It’s a fraction of the cost of Photoshop.

So, Photopea might not completely replace Photoshop for everyone, but it’s an incredibly valuable tool to have in your arsenal, and it can definitely handle a surprising amount of “serious” work. I would really recommend you use it sometimes.