America's Dating Crisis Can Be Solved Through Confidence-Building and Real-World Relationship Education
Source: Glenn T. Stanton. "America's Dating Crisis Is Dire, But Here's How We Can Reverse It." March 12, 2026. thefederalist.com
The Gist
Young people want to date and get married, but they lack confidence and basic social skills to do it successfully. The solution is for families, churches, and community groups to teach them dating skills and build their confidence through real-world programs, not more dating apps.
Conclusion
America's dating crisis can be reversed through targeted confidence-building and relationship education programs delivered by families, churches, and community organizations
Premises
- Young adults still want to date and marry (61% expect to marry, 60% of men and 47% of women want relationships)
- The primary barriers to dating are self-doubt and lack of confidence, not lack of interest (only 25% feel confident approaching someone they're interested in)
- Financial concerns are the largest practical barrier to dating (58% of men, 47% of women cite insufficient money for dating activities)
- Young adults lack basic dating and social skills (only 36% good at picking up social cues, 42% good at managing emotions on dates)
- Current solutions like dating apps are inadequate and contribute to the problem by reducing real-world social interaction
- Successful examples like Stanford's Date Drop show community-based matchmaking works better than individual app-based approaches
- The problems are 'wholly fixable' because they stem from skill deficits rather than fundamental disinterest in relationships
Assumptions
- Marriage and fertility are essential social goods that society cannot survive without
- Face-to-face, real-world relationship building is superior to digital/app-based dating
- Older adults and institutions have the wisdom and capability to effectively teach dating skills
- Traditional institutions (families, churches) are the appropriate venues for relationship education
- Self-confidence and social skills can be effectively taught through educational programs