The Future Crisis Brought by Swipe Culture: Why Aren't Connections Formed Despite More Encounters? Examining Japan's Declining Birthrate Through the Lens of "Dating Fatigue"

When you open your smartphone, profiles of people you wouldn't encounter in daily life appear one after another. You look at their photos, check their conditions, and respond if you're interested.

The gateway to meeting people has expanded. However, that doesn't necessarily mean the journey to building a trusting relationship, living together, and thinking about the future with someone has become shorter.

Sarah Vine, a British columnist, linked this gap to the issue of declining birthrates in her editorial for the Daily Mail dated September 27, 2026. The term introduced here is "romance famine," which in Japanese translates to "恋愛飢饉." It expresses the difficulty of building intimate and lasting relationships.

However, this is a term used to discuss social changes and is not an established statistical indicator. The notion that more people are swiping left to reject others and that the future of humanity is at risk should be taken as the writer's provocation rather than a research result proving causality.

Reading this editorial from Japan, it becomes clear that the question is not only about the enthusiasm of young people towards romance.

Meeting someone and maintaining a relationship are different

Vine highlights hesitations towards long-term relationships, jobs that are hard to balance with family life, and pessimism about the future.

The editorial also includes a personal episode where her daughter, after listening to a podcast about changes in employment due to AI, expressed hesitation about having children. This cannot explain the entire younger generation by itself. However, it does convey how the outlook on work and society can influence personal choices like starting a family.

Marriage and childbirth have aspects where one cannot wait for a time when all anxieties are gone. However, overcoming these anxieties solely through personal resolve is a different matter.

Will I be able to continue my current job next year? Can I live while paying for housing? Can I take time off work if my child gets sick?

Without concrete prospects for these questions, some people may find it difficult to take action even if told to "be more positive."

In Japan, fewer people want to get married

Recent surveys in Japan also show changes.

The 17th Basic Survey on Birth Trends, published by the National Institute of Population and Social Security Research on September 11, 2026, was conducted in June 2025. Among unmarried individuals aged 18-34, 75.1% of men and 77.8% of women said they intend to marry eventually, down from 81.4% of men and 84.3% of women in the previous survey.

This indicates that while the majority still wish to marry, this intention is not as widely shared as before.

However, "not wanting to marry," "not considering marriage now," and "wanting to marry but not having a partner" are different states. Ignoring these differences can lead to misjudging the necessary support.

Encouraging people who do not wish to marry to engage in matchmaking does not necessarily lead to their happiness. Conversely, explaining those who wish to marry but lack the conditions solely through changing values is insufficient.

Still, apps are becoming a gateway to marriage

The explanation that "swipe culture has ruined romance" does not fully capture the reality in Japan.

In the same survey, among couples who married for the first time in the past five years from the survey date, 20.2% met through the internet, up from 11.0% in the previous survey.

The term "internet" here includes not only matching apps but also interactions through SNS and websites. While it cannot be interpreted as "20% of couples married through matching apps," it is clear that online encounters are becoming an important marriage route.

In other words, the existence of people who are tired of digital encounters and those who marry through such encounters can coexist.

These numbers do not indicate how much apps have increased marriages. However, they do provide material for caution against discussions that label apps as the "culprit" of declining birthrates.

It is necessary to look at both the function of creating encounters and the conditions that support relationships after meeting.

What is visible on SNS is the fatigue of choosing and being chosen

So, what are users tired of?

In the relationship advice community on the overseas forum Reddit, complaints were posted about conversations on apps becoming one-sided, with the other party disappearing after short responses. Confusion about "ghosting," where communication suddenly stops without explanation after days of interaction or planning to meet, was also mentioned.

The same post criticizes that profiles have become lists of selection criteria rather than gateways to getting to know someone. As a countermeasure, it suggests considering apps merely as places for introductions and taking breaks before becoming too frustrated.

Another post features a 24-year-old woman who has been using apps for three years, expressing her mental fatigue.

These are not direct responses to the original Daily Mail editorial but individual posts on the same theme. They do not represent the opinions of all Japanese users or SNS as a whole.

Nevertheless, they provide clues to consider the burdens that cannot be measured by the number of encounters. Repeatedly introducing oneself, probing the other person's intentions, and switching emotions if there is no response require not only time but also emotional reserves.

Can "lowering your ideals" solve the problem?

When discussing dating fatigue, explanations often arise that the conditions people seek in partners are too strict.

Indeed, the more detailed the conditions, the narrower the pool of candidates. However, conditions have various meanings. Wanting a match in hobbies is not the same as seeking a partner who does not resort to violence. Interest in income is not always about desiring a luxurious lifestyle; it can be tied to financial insecurity.

Therefore, before dismissing it as "being too picky," we should consider what those conditions are trying to protect.

Can you feel safe being with them? Can you discuss differences in opinions? Are you not being burdened with life's responsibilities?

These things cannot be understood from photos or short introductions alone. To nurture a relationship, time is needed to get to know the other person after meeting. Even if encounters can be made more efficient, that time cannot be omitted.

When considering declining birthrates, look beyond romance

Another important point is that even if a partner is found, it does not guarantee the realization of the desired family life.

The 2025 edition of the United Nations Population Fund's 'State of World Population' emphasizes not only fertility rates but also whether people can have the number of children they desire at the time they wish. In the survey used in the report, 39% of respondents said economic constraints affected or would affect the realization of their desired family size.

This percentage cannot be directly applied to the situation in Japan. However, it provides material to show that reasons for hesitating to give birth cannot be reduced to matters of sentiment alone.

When considering support in Japan, it will be necessary to examine not only opportunities for encounters but also housing, employment, working hours, and environments where childcare can be shared.

For example, even if people meet at matchmaking events, if they cannot find time to meet afterward, the relationship is unlikely to deepen. Even if they can marry, if one person is expected to bear the income reduction or impact on work due to childcare, they will be cautious about giving birth.

These are not issues that can be solved by specific systems alone. Therefore, it is important not to end support with the idea that "as long as they meet, it's fine."

Towards a society where individuals can choose their future over "giving birth for humanity"

The headline of the original article grabs attention with strong words about the future of humanity being at risk. However, if this sense of crisis about the population is directly translated into pressure on individuals to marry and have children, the discussion will create different problems.

A life without children or marriage also has value. Some people may have wanted these but could not realize them. A person's contribution to life cannot be measured solely by birth numbers.

That said, there is value in creating conditions where those who want to marry or raise children do not have to give up.

If the term "romance famine" is to be received in Japan, it should not be to blame who is passive but rather to consider where the room to nurture relationships is being lost.

Beyond the screen, there are many candidates. However, to consider a future with the one person in front of you, time, trust, and a clear outlook on life are necessary.

What Japan needs to face is the difficulty beyond the number of swipes, which cannot be understood by that alone.

Sources and References

1. Daily Mail / Editorial by Sarah Vine (September 27, 2026)
   The starting point of the article, "romance famine," issues surrounding the formation of long-term relationships, work, and future anxieties.
   https://www.dailymail.com/debate/article-16163047/people-swipe-left-spell-end-world-SARAH-VINE.html

2. National Institute of Population and Social Security Research / 17th Basic Survey on Birth Trends
   Conducted in 2025, published on September 11, 2026. Reference to marriage intentions among unmarried individuals aged 18-34.ipss.go.jp
   https://www.ipss.go.jp/ps-doukou/j/doukou17/doukou17_gaiyo.html

3. Summary of Results from the Same Survey / How Couples Met
   Published on page 59 of the text. Confirmation of the 20.2% of first-time married couples who met through the internet in the past five years from the survey date, and the scope and definition of this.ipss.go.jp
   https://www.ipss.go.jp/ps-doukou/j/doukou17/JNFS17gaiyo.pdf

4. Reddit / Posts Expressing Dissatisfaction with App Interactions and Ghosting
   Summary of fatigue from one-sided conversations, condition comparisons, and communication breakdowns, and the countermeasures suggested by the poster. Not a direct response to the original article.reddit.com
   https://www.reddit.com/r/dating_advice/comments/1q58y13/dating_apps_reward_the_worst_behaviors_and_its/

5. Reddit / "dating fatigue (24 F)"
   An individual post by a person who has been using apps for three years and feels mental fatigue. Reference to the publicly available part confirmed through a search.reddit.com
   https://www.reddit.com/r/dating_advice/comments/1uiuog3/dating_fatigue_24_f/

6. United Nations Population Fund / 2025 Edition 'State of World Population' Special Page
   Reference to the perspective that emphasizes economic constraints when realizing the desired family size and personal choices regarding childbirth.aa.unfpa.org
   https://aa.unfpa.org/swp2025