Contributed by: Lisa on Wednesday, October 08 2025 @ 09:00 am
Last modified on Wednesday, October 08 2025 @ 09:09 am
“Young people aren’t disinterested—they’re priced out.” That’s George Arison’s CEO of Grindr's bold argument. In a recent interview, he pushed back against the narrative that Gen Z is losing faith in dating. Instead, he says, it’s the overly monetized business models of many apps that are driving users away.
Arison points out[*1] that some dating apps charge for virtually everything—messaging, matching, visibility—making the free versions almost unusable. He claims Grindr has intentionally kept its free product “extremely robust” so that users don’t feel compelled to pay just to participate.
He suggests the narrative blaming youth is unfair. Yes, Gen Z faces rising costs, housing struggles, and income uncertainty—but forcing them to pay just to function on an app adds another barrier to connection.
Meanwhile, other data backs Grindr’s countertrend: while some dating apps face stagnation, Grindr has posted growth. According to industry coverage by Fast Company interview[*2] , Grindr’s revenue rose ~33% and its user base reached over 14 million monthly active users.
Here’s where the conversation becomes practical. If Arison is right, there are signs you can watch for—and choices you can make.
At the end of the day, dating should help you feel more capable, not more excluded. If an app looms larger than its users, or charges for every small move, that’s a red flag. And Arison’s point—if Gen Z is dialing back, maybe it’s because the apps no longer honor their limits.
For more on this dating service, check out our Grindr review.