How singles-only bars and ‘little green rings’ are changing the global dating world

FOR MANY, finding a significant other in this modern world can prove to be a daunting and stressful task.

And for singles who resort to dating apps but still want to meet someone in the real world, a new and global initiative has set out to help them.

A dating app called Thursday has decided to combine both online as well as offline dating, and have opened up singles-only bars in 60 cities across the world.

This includes Chicago, New York City, Toronto, London, Barcelona, Mumbai, Amsterdam and Sydney, amongst several others.

This dating initiative looks to create an environment, through pop-up bars, for singletons to couple up. It is also a way to avoid dating scams, which is widely prevalent online.

It is also a way to not get “cat-fished”, a term which refers to the creation of a fictitious online person, which is aimed at deceiving specific individuals.

“This is about face-to-face interactions and getting off the apps,” a post on Thursday’s Instagram page read.

“Think of it as a magnet that drops in your city to attract singles like you.”

It continued: “It’s an alternative to members clubs, swipe right culture, and is a good way to discover your city’s hidden gems (both humans and bars).”

They added on Instagram that they are not a dating app in the conventional sense, and that they are more concerned with IRL (in real life) connections.

“There is a match and chat function like a traditional dating app but it's only active for 24 hours a week on a Thursday.”

“Match. Chat. Date. On the same day”

They added on the social media platform that, “This is not time for time wasters.”

“Matches and conversations are deleted at midnight, so if you’re having a good conversation with people, be sure to arrange a date, or at the very least, swap details before it's too late.”

In addition, entry into these singles-only bars in their locations throughout the world, are also not just exclusively for the app’s users.

A separate Thursday Instagram post explained that these pop-ups are a place for all dating app users to meet in real life every Thursday night.

“What singles really want is an opportunity to meet someone naturally, in a bar,” the app also said on Instagram.

And apart from the chance to meet a potential partner, entry into these “singles-only” bars are also free.

Meanwhile, another revolutionary dating initiative is Pear, which sells itself as “the world’s biggest social experiment.”

On their website, their description reads: “Single? Introducing pear - the in real life social experiment + IRL events in your city. #NotADatingApp.”

Pear also proudly stated online: “Hinge. Bumble. Tinder. Pear will take it from here.”

They explained that they make it easier to know who is single and open to meeting new people in real life, by singletons wearing a small, subtle ring, which makes a “BIG statement”.

They added that this “little green ring” can be worn on any finger.

These two dating initiatives have also come together as Pear have since collaborated with Thursday.

They encourage people to download the Thursday app, wear their rings and meet people at the designated bars, in the cities across the world.

The dating initiative’s website also added that a whopping 1.2 billion singles around the world are currently wearing “little green rings” on their fingers to signify their single status.

“We wouldn't need dating apps. IRL connection is the mission," Pear added.

The dating experiment has since garnered worldwide attention, featuring in media articles across the globe.

“This is going crazy,” was Pear’s caption on an Instagram post which features a collage of the newspaper and online headlines in which they feature.

Also on Instagram, many users have posted pictures of them wearing little green rings, as they announce their single status to the world.

This includes Instagram user @skyla_grey316 who posted: “Out Of My Comfort Zone But Giving This A Go 🍐 I Have Become A @biggestsocialexperiment Member 🍐 Time To Do It The Old Fashioned Way #peardating #biggestsocialexperiment.

@HannahRossFitness_ added: “Pear ring on, joining the worlds biggest social experiment. Let’s see how this goes! 🍐.”