journey,” she said.
Jantos flew into the inaugural SXSW London to give a talk about the loneliness epidemic impacting Gen Zers. There is no shortage of stories and reports on how young people are connecting less with the outside world, glued to their phones and virtual realities. Jantos told TechCrunch this is one reason Hinge launched its One More Hour fund in 2023.
The fund seeks to invest $1 million into organizations to foster more in-person connections among Gen Zers. She’s heard feedback from young people on her team that there are barriers to hanging out these days, including how expensive it has become and finding places that feel safe.
“We want to lower the barrier so people just want to come out because we know if they build that skill, it’s more likely when they’re on our product, they’ll be more likely to be comfortable meeting someone up for a date,” she said.
And, as expected, Hinge is throwing events, filling ads with creators, such as writers, to “meet the audience where they are.” It created a zine and campaign about Hinge success stories to hopefully inspire Gen Zers to go find love. And even better, on the Hinge app.
