Hinge is on a mission to create a less lonely world, and it has only become more poignant in a tech-saturated environment where screen time is replacing quality time in person with others.
According to Hinge research conducted with the Gen Z-led research firm dcdx, 82% of young adults report feeling lonely. Additionally, today’s young adults have 1,000 fewer hours of in-person connection time annually compared to two decades ago. As a place where Gen Z goes to find connection, Hinge feels a deep responsibility to help this generation find in-person belonging and community.
Hinge spent two years researching the gravity of loneliness for young adults, including collaborating with nonprofit partners and learning from Gen Z about their relationship to technology. Based on its learnings, Hinge’s goal became clear: become the leading brand voice on the loneliness epidemic and become one of the most effective philanthropic investors in improving in-person connections for young adults.
In late 2023, Hinge launched its social impact platform, One More Hour, with the goal of fostering in-person connections among Gen Z, one hour at a time. The launch included a $1M fund to provide grants to U.S. social groups helping Gen Z build face-to-face connections and community for little or no cost and on an ongoing basis.
As the company explored pressing societal needs for a less lonely world, Hinge discovered Gen Z wants to build connections but struggles with the shame of loneliness and a lack of social skills following the pandemic. The company faced the ongoing challenge of responsibly encouraging in-person connections for a digitally native generation while reaching them in the places where they are - their phones.
Hinge landed on alleviating loneliness and increasing in-person connection for young adults by publicly challenging the stigma of loneliness, encouraging connection-building behaviors through resources, and making space for connection to be more accessible. Additionally, Hinge has leveraged digital platforms to provide Gen Z with meaningful content that encourages connection – over entertainment – and directs them to offline resources. This was brought to life through earned media, paid media, influencer marketing, and events.
In 2023, Hinge joined the Coalition to End Social Isolation & Loneliness, collaborating with other brands and organizations to advocate for policies and initiatives to reduce loneliness. Hinge publicly seeded its social impact work by launching a Distraction-Free Dating Guide in collaboration with the Foundation for Social Connection. This included mindful dating tips and ideas for meaningful, tech-free moments of in-person connection.
These key initiatives led to the official launch of One More Hour, which showed Hinge’s dedication to mobilizing Gen Z to collectively add in-person connection time to their lives. The company partnered with DoSomething.org and the Foundation for Social Connection to launch a $1M fund supporting social groups in urban cities across the U.S. as these areas have high impact potential for making IRL connection time more accessible for Gen Z. This created a challenge for Hinge to not only boost the fragile infrastructure of social groups but to also seed this work as holistic social health tied to loneliness outside of dating.
After applications opened, Hinge announced its inaugural cohort of 40 social groups — with the new funding advancing their efforts to redefine how young adults find belonging in their local neighborhoods. The awarded groups spanned across Atlanta, Los Angeles, and New York including Intrsxtn Surf, HBCUs Outside, ATLFILMPARTY, and Reading Rhythms.
Additionally, Hinge partnered with Global Day of Unplugging on a free phone-shaped Phonebook with 100 pages of free ideas for connecting in person. Hinge worked with over 19 collaborators that Gen Z connects with — from illustrators to connection catalysts — to create unexpected and engaging ideas on how to spend time away from your screens. By tapping diverse creators, Hinge created an idea for everyone, from taking a ‘sketch-ie’ instead of a selfie to using food waste to dye clothes or learning how to birdwatch.
In addition to the physical copies, Hinge made the Phonebook available for download and shared pages from the Distraction Free Dating Guide in local neighborhoods through OOH wild postings. Even if people didn’t have a physical copy, Hinge wanted them to walk down the street and see an idea that would spark unplugged moments of romantic or platonic connection.
We measure One More Hour’s extraordinary success as a program through multiple facets of impact and reach.
Hinge’s One More Hour fund provided 40 social groups with $25,000 each to successfully build and sustain in-person connections within their communities at little to no cost. After all, for almost half (48%) of young adults, financial constraints prevent them from participating in social experiences. Hinge’s grants empower each group to provide fundamental basics for participating, from wetsuits for surfers and compensation for instructors to transportation for students and more.
Hinge donated $100,000 to Global Day of Unplugging — providing microgrants for creating 100+ unplugged experiences focused on Gen Zers across the U.S. in early 2024. The events focused on offering unique community experiences, including meditation sessions and flag football games to comedy shows and musical performances. Additionally, the first 2,000 print copies of the Phonebook ‘sold out’ in the first two days of its release. After, Hinge released another 2,000 copies to meet popular demand – showcasing the initiative’s positive impact on young adults. Hinge also saw 3 million of its users view a digital version of the Phonebook — with Hinge using technology to make offline connection-building ideas accessible to all.
Out-of-home posters of Phonebook content lead to 25 million estimated impressions over four weeks and out-of-home posters of Distraction Free Dating Guide content lead to 138 million estimated impressions over four weeks. Through these efforts, Hinge challenged the stigma of loneliness and encouraged connection-building behaviors in local neighborhoods.
