Just a side note - Instagram accounts are nice because they offer social proof. A lot of people feel more comfortable meeting a stranger one-on-one if they have some idea that the person has a life, friends, etc.
As for the rest, it sounds like speculative nonsense. I date and know a lot of people who actively date. There are more and better options today to meet more and better people - not less. Not by a longshot.
I think everyone knows that. Personally, I don't spend any time taking countless photographs of myself and my buddies eating and traveling. That's not me, and I think it's a little sad that people can't have any trust in strangers to the extent that they must look up a curated PR profile of them and believe that. Yes, the world has changed. That doesn't mean that everyone is better off that way just because 80+% will go in whatever direction the wind blows. Even if the inevtability of being strange for not being active on Instagram is something people should accept, it shouldn't be the deal breaker that it often seems to be.
> As for the rest, it sounds like speculative nonsense.
That's not particularly respectful.
> I date and know a lot of people who actively date. There are more and better options today to meet more and better people - not less. Not by a longshot.
"I think it's a little sad that people can't have any trust in strangers"
For women, dating is a process of meeting a larger, stronger person who is a member of a demographic responsible for nearly all sexual violence. If they want a little social proof before meeting a strange man alone, I fully understand. Obviously this goes both (all) ways, but is a bigger concern for women (at least the many women I have discussed this with over the years).
Sorry to be disrespectful. I was specifically talking about the idea that it is no longer possible/acceptable to meet people in person. Do you truly believe this? As I said, I know a lot of people who date actively, and they do still meet people when out and about. Sometimes it's a friend of a friend, sometimes a random person at a bar. One of my last serious relationships started when we met at a wedding. A good friend of mine seems to find dates by just stepping out the door! She's cute, but it's not like men are constantly fawning over her - she just tends to chat with strangers and sometimes that leads to dates! So I see this so much in my everyday life I find it strange when people (especially people who admit they are not dating in the current era) make claims about how dating does and does not work these days.
As for the rest, it sounds like speculative nonsense. I date and know a lot of people who actively date. There are more and better options today to meet more and better people - not less. Not by a longshot.