Feb 26, 2025| Dineships TeamWe’re all feeling lonelier than ever and, even worse, feel like there is nothing we can do about it. In this decade alone, the digital landscape has transformed every facet of our lives, from how we choose where to eat to how we shop. Singles can effectively date from the comfort of their couch, and foodies can see thousands of reviews right on their phones. This collective digital dependency has become both a blessing and a curse.Our Collective Digital DependencyWith cell phone usage reaching a whopping 8.58 billion users globally, unplugging and connecting is becoming nearly impossible. With this are feelings of disconnection. Communities are lacking the same kind of interactions they had before and face-to-face time is rarer than ever. In fact, the average American spends the equivalent of 44 days on their phone a year. But we’re not doomed. Just because each of our interactions and daily activities are shaped by our cell phones doesn’t mean that they can’t be used for good. In fact, our phones aren’t solely to blame for the impending doom and incurable loneliness many of us feel.The True Pandemic: LonelinessThere’s no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic altered the social lives of an entire generation. Within weeks, every interaction, every dinner out, and every date night screeched to a halt. And didn’t resume for another two years. But the truth is, nothing was the same after. Nearly everyone exited the quarantine era with some sort of loss of community. Whether real or perceived, we became much less connected in real life. So what changed, what happened to us? Once again, we fell victim to digital dependency. We left our real-life communities and created them online. While many were able to find their niche groups and interests along with like-minded people during the pandemic, many found that at the end of the pandemic, that’s all they had. Studies found that many people reported losing friends in the pandemic, and more recent studies found that most of us didn’t really bounce back. Imagine that! An entire population that is, for whatever reason, not making new, meaningful friendships and connections.Innovatively Reclaiming CommunityAt Dineships, we’ve found the solution to reclaiming our real-life social lives – by leveraging our digital communities to bring forth better face-to-face connections. And no, it’s not a dating app. And it doesn’t involve taking out an ad in the Yellow Pages that reads, “Friends Wanted.” Our mission is to pull all of us out of the isolationist mentality and back into our communities. Not digital community – real face-to-face community, with the one thing that has been known to bring people together since the dawn of man: food.How are we reigniting friendship, love and community in cities across the country? By making it easier than ever to find new friendships with just the tap of a button. We offer a space to find others with your interests in both hobbies and cuisines and to book at new, delicious restaurants near you.Try the new app that is leading the charge in bringing us back together.