Olivia Smith
Bio
Olivia Smith, 34, Based in New York. Passionate Lifestyle Writer Dedicated to Inspiring and Motivating People Through Powerful, Uplifting Content and Everyday Life Stories.
Stories (108)
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How AI Matchmaking Is Transforming the Future of Relationships
From newspaper personals to dating apps, technology has always played a role in matchmaking. Now, in 2025, the transformation is hitting unprecedented levels with artificial intelligence. A new AI matchmaking algorithm is changing the way we connect with people that share our common bond to get past the superficial. Rather than depending on swipes (or even looking at another person’s) or static profiles, AI parses behavior, communication, and emotional patterns in order to outdate compatible suitors. This is a major step toward personalized, meaningful experiences. Dating is no longer simply a game of luck or trial and error, it this day in age, assisted by intelligent systems that meaningfully connect us.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Humans
Exploring the Growth of Niche Dating Apps for Unique Lifestyles
Online dating has changed in a big way in the past couple of years, and it has moved from being something that was a little bit ‘taboo’ to something that is just commonly accepted. Taking soulmate-searching to the internet has come a long way, baby: The “other half” on the web in the early 2000s, most mainstream dating sites have opted for a much broader approach. The frustration spawned niche dating apps for people of varying lifestyles and interests. Whether for pet lovers, fitness fanatics or religious worshippers, these apps help form new communities for people with shared interests to connect. The rise of niche platforms indicates an intense appetite for authenticity and alignment in love right now —because real love springs from spaces where individuals can blossom.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Confessions
The Rise of Slow Dating and Why Singles Prefer It Over Swiping
Dating apps have championed let-the-right–one-in, rapid decision making with endless swipes and taps, like ordering clothes on Amazon with one click. As thrilling as this speed could be, it very often left singles feeling emotionally spent and not truly satisfied. For increasing numbers of people a slow dating movement is crossing the same emotional desert that millions have already traipsed through in the service of speed dating. However, rather than swiping, slow dating encourages people to talk for more time before making any decisions. That is opening up space for more honest and intimate conversations, and deeper emotional connections, which are both conducive to long-term relationships and also an antidote to this rapid fire, overly sanitized and disconnected dating culture, they said.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Confessions
Heteropessimism 101: Why Gen Z Women Are Cautious About Dating Right Now
Heteropessimism is on the rise among Gen Z women, and it is marked by skepticism and weariness of heterosexual dating. Millennials expect less from sex because of changes in society, gender roles, personal experience and the mass media, including porn. Also, again, Heteropessimism does not mean never finding love. It just means you’re gonna be real careful about bae-hunting. Fear of emotional labor, misaligned intentions and potential heartbreak — these people behind these excuses they make to themselves. It’s a sign of a more sweeping change in the way relationships are being helped along, with women weighing risk and prioritizing compatibility over traditional romantic norms.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Filthy
Dating in a Romance Recession: How Gen Z Is Navigating Love on a Budget
Dating means something quite different for Gen Z than it did for previous generations. At a time when living alone is more expensive than ever, student debt is skyrocketing, and the economy is unpredictable, a generation of young people coming of age is rethinking the meaning of romance. 'Stepford Students' fees of lavish dinners, extravagant outings and gifts to impress are becoming less practical. Gen Z, instead, are accommodating themselves to financial constraints and craving substance. And that transition has created what some people call a “romance recession” — dating is now a means to demonstrate value, handle work-related stress and reenact “carefree” times, rather than an end in itself — where today’s singles are no longer drowning in dating expenses, and are focusing less on materialism and more on experiencing real connections, without the omni-present danger of financial commitment.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Confessions
Raya’s Rise: What Makes This Exclusive Dating App More Popular Than Ever
Raya has defied the crowded attention economy in the dating app market by being exclusive. Unlike typical online platforms, Raya’s platform isn't open to everybody, but is instead pretty selective – cutting out some of the riff-raff. This exclusivity gives a sense of belonging and entitlement, and members feel they have achieved something special”. Why do celebrities, influencers and creatives tend to flock to the platform for privacy and status, attracting aspirational users? The app markets itself not just as a dating app, but as a personal club for people seeking something primary among scenesters and neophytes, who fetishize dating apps the way they fetishize Goop.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Men
Toxic Dating Behaviors: What the Monkey-Barring Trend Reveals About Modern Romance
New jargon is constantly coming out to describe the ever-complex world of modern dating. A new addition to the toxic dating pantheon is monkey-barring; it’s the practice of swinging from one relationship to the next while they overlap. Just as a child swings from one grab bar to the next without really ever letting go, this speaks volumes about someone who has deep rooted insecurities and fear of being alone. Then the monkey-barring begins again.” Monkey-barring causes instability in relationships and makes those left feeling used or discarded. With the growing number of people who are dating casually, commitment is far less of a factor and, when commitment is involved, it can only be considered for convenience and underhanded motive.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Journal
IRL Dating Is Back: Boston Singles Swap Apps for Real Connections
For years, apps like Match, Hinge, and Bumble have connected the city’s singles organically, though the free and fast swiping such apps offered also was at odds with singles’ desire to connect. People knew how to swipe now, with the digital era ruling how folks met in person. But fatigue has swept in, and a lot of us are becoming ready to return to in-person connections. Dating IRL is back in Boston, and it’s got nothing to do with swiping right. After all, whether ignited at a concert, coffee shop or sports event, real-life connections seem like the most refreshing and authentic. This resurgence mirrors a greater cultural trend, in which people are seeking more meaningful connections that apps just can’t provide.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Filthy
Heteropessimism Explained: How Political Divides Are Impacting Dating
Heteropessimism is a name for the rising sense of disillusionment and disbelief some harbor about heterosexuality. It feels to me of the attitude that people bring to the dating across genders struggle, even if they're reluctant but also participate for all that. It's a phenomenon that's not just personal — it collides with broader cultural and political fault lines. As social and political divisions deepen, so have negative attitudes toward dating. People are caught between yearning and disillusionment, the sense that old ways of loving are proving all but untenable, at a time when the established protocols for finding a spouse haven’t quite worked out, a time when the battle between the sexes is on full display.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Filthy
Gen Z’s Romance Recession: Why Half Spend $0 a Month on Dating
A stark transformation is taking place in the dating pool: Only about 50 percent of Gen Z is spending zero dollars on dating each month. This “romance recession” reveals an “epochal transition” in the way culture, society and market forces are (re)shaping young people’s atitudes toward relationships. For a young generation, where previous generations used to consider doing movies, taking someone out to dinner, or buying presents to court, Gen Z takes a no-nonsense approach to love. This drop can be attributed to growing living costs, student debt and inflation, but also to a shift in priorities. Emotional health and personal freedom prevail over financial gestures in today’s dating world for the many rather than the few.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Filthy
From Swipe to Social: How Boston Is Ditching Dating Apps for Real-Life Connections
Dating apps long promised to make dating easier, less painful and more fun. But in Boston, a cultural tide is turning. [business] More and more people are ditching endless scrolling and going back to the kind of connection where you reach out and touch someone. Rather than hooking up through algorithms, young singles are seeking the rush that comes from swiping left during a Upright Citizens Brigade performance, connecting with the constellation of a cute constellation of an Astrological Society of Los Angeles mutual at a farmer's market party. This trend is indicative of an increasing frustration with the shallowness of dating apps. In a historically-rich city full of intellectual life and unique areas, we're seeing that genuine, in-real-life "meeting" is again the method of choice.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Confessions
Why Raya Has 2.5 Million on the Waitlist While Others Lose Users
In a time when there's a specific dating app for every demographic, Raya has made getting into the club feel like an exclusive vibe. Whereas most traditional platforms target mass accessibility, Raya, the so-called “celebrity dating app,” offers a path to success for just the super famous. With a rigorous application process and a selective membership, it draws influencers, entrepreneurs and creative professionals. This exclusivity breeds desire, a feeling of privilege for those with access. “It’s smart because it’s exclusive,” he said of courting mystery in dating while limiting entry.“Raya makes dating feel like a curated experience and a move in a much more orchestrated way, which creates intrigue, mystery and the allure of a luxury social network.
By Olivia Smith5 months ago in Humans
