Harsh Dating Truths for Men 18 to 35 | Dating Apps, Relationships & Money

These are my harsh dating and relationship truths for men aged 18 to 35.

This episode is not about becoming bitter. It is about recognising the reality of modern dating, understanding the numbers, and then pulling your focus back to what you can control: your money, your body, your confidence, your values, your standards, and your long-term direction.

In this episode, I discuss modern dating apps, height filters, match rates, sexlessness, why some men are withdrawing from approaching women, the business incentives behind dating apps, university, money, workforce participation, young women’s hourly earnings, self-improvement, masculinity, the manosphere, and why young men should focus on what they can control.

– CHAPTERS –

00:00 Harsh Dating Truths for Men 18 to 35
01:37 Height Filters & the 6-Foot Rule
02:32 The “Below Average” Attractiveness Problem
02:58 Tinder-Style Match Rates
03:38 Dating Apps & the Profit Motive
04:50 Men Are Still Trying to Date
06:00 Sexlessness & Young Men
07:25 Why Men Stopped Approaching
10:15 Are Dating Apps Harming Men?
12:36 Match Group, Bumble & the Dating-App Business
14:39 Why Paying for Premium May Not Help
15:38 Work on Yourself
17:17 Money, University & Opportunity Cost
19:11 Men, Women & Workforce Participation
20:45 Young Women’s Hourly Earnings
21:23 Hypergamy & Financial Standards
22:12 Control What You Can Control
22:40 Leg Extensions or a Stock Portfolio?
23:10 The Harsh Reality for Young Men
24:21 Female Standards vs Male Standards
25:10 Why I Am Not Part of the Manosphere
25:44 Positive Male Role Models
26:21 Money, Boundaries & Long-Term Direction
28:05 Final Thoughts, Support & ADVIKATE

You can also support me and the channel through my clothing brand, ADVIKATE™. It is embedded with the values of Freedom, Adventure, Solidarity, and Truth — values that are deeply important to me and that I hope to convey through this podcast as well. Use code EXISTENTIALEVAN for 20% off.

Disclosure: ADVIKATE™ is my own brand.

Disclaimer: This video is commentary and personal opinion. It is not financial advice, legal advice, psychological advice, or relationship counselling.

Support: If you are in crisis, contact your local crisis line or emergency services. In Australia, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. Outside Australia, you can find a local helpline through Befrienders Worldwide. If life is in immediate danger, call your local emergency number.

#ExistentialEvan #ModernDating #SelfImprovement

– REFERENCES –

Dating Apps, Height, Desirability, and Match Rates:

Bruch, E. E., & Newman, M. E. J. (2018). Aspirational pursuit of mates in online dating markets. Science Advances, 4(8), eaap9815. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aap9815

Rudder, C. (2009, November 17). Your looks and your inbox. OkTrends. https://gwern.net/doc/psycholo....gy/okcupid/yourlooks

Smith, S. (2025, May 20). “Swipe left if you’re under 6ft”: Why are we so obsessed with height? Dazed. https://www.dazeddigital.com/b....eauty/article/66828/

SwipeStats. (2025). Tinder statistics 2020–2025: The complete data analysis. https://www.swipestats.io/blog/tinder-statistics

Dating Interest and Sexlessness:

Cox, D. A. (2023, February 9). From swiping to sexting: The enduring gender divide in American dating and relationships. Survey Center on American Life. https://www.americansurveycent....er.org/research/from

Pew Research Center. (2020, August 20). A profile of single Americans. https://www.pewresearch.org/so....cial-trends/2020/08/

Ueda, P., Mercer, C. H., Ghaznavi, C., & Herbenick, D. (2020). Trends in frequency of sexual activity and number of sexual partners among adults aged 18 to 44 years in the US, 2000–2018. JAMA Network Open, 3(6), e203833. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.3833

Australian Workforce, Earnings, and Parenthood:

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2025, August 14). Gender indicators. https://www.abs.gov.au/statist....ics/people/people-an

Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2025, October 15). Births, Australia, 2024. https://www.abs.gov.au/statist....ics/people/populatio

Maltman, M. (2025, September 19). How the care economy is reshaping the labour market. e61 Institute. https://e61.in/how-the-care-ec....onomy-is-reshaping-t

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