Staff Reports
Late‑night’s Gutfeld! put a spotlight on a viral Gen Z habit that sounds like something out of a sociology lab: “practice dates” — low‑stakes meetups meant to help young people rehearse flirting, small talk and the nerve‑wracking first‑date routines. The idea has been circulating on TikTok and Instagram and now turned up on cable TV, where host Greg Gutfeld and his panel tore into the trend and what it says about modern dating culture.
What exactly are practice dates?
“Practice dates” are exactly what they sound like: intentionally low‑pressure meetups with people you’re not particularly excited about, used to build confidence and polish conversation skills. Dating coaches and creators on social media pitch them as a way to get “reps” in real life instead of treating every first meeting like a make‑or‑break audition. That sounds useful on paper — but it’s also easy to cross the line from self‑improvement into treating other people like props.
Why Gen Z is trying this — and why it spread so fast
Blame dating‑app fatigue, decision overload and social isolation. Endless swiping, ghosting and anxiety about making the “right” choice has left a lot of young people rusty at in‑person interaction, so some are deliberately rehearsing. Social media and short‑form videos amplified the idea: influencers and dating coaches post quick how‑tos that normalize practice dates, turning a tentative coping tactic into a mainstream trend.
The real costs — who pays when dating becomes a rehearsal?
There’s a human cost here. If someone shows up expecting a genuine connection and later learns they were a “practice” for someone else, feelings get hurt — and trust erodes. Beyond individual heartbreak, the normalization of rehearsed romance chips away at the messy, risky business of courtship that builds commitment and community; that matters for families, for neighborhoods, and for a healthy civic life.
A plain‑spoken conclusion
Skill‑building is fine. Practice is fine. Honesty is mandatory. If you’re going to use other people to learn how to be better at dating, tell them that’s what this is. Treating relationships like a training montage might get a few more successful first dates, but it won’t fix the deeper problem: a generation leaning on technology and tricks to avoid hard conversations and real responsibility.
So go on dates, learn how to talk to people, and be upfront — or stop pretending this is a clever new strategy and admit it’s a shortcut that risks making us all lonelier. Which is it going to be?
