Until recently, it was generally a choice between dating apps, such as Tinder, or trying to find people on social media sites like Facebook and Instagram. Now, many are giving another way a go: using apps based on interests and hobbies. These “hobby apps” quickly catch on and become social places where people meet others with shared passions.

Hobby apps-representative examples include Goodreads for book lovers and Strava for runners-kept developing their popularity. It is no longer a question of profile matching or competing for more followers, but the users start connecting with each other through shared interests and activities. An example could be the running app called Strava, which demonstrated a 20% increase in users over the past year, allowing people to chat with one another while tracking their runs. Ravelry is similar in nature, a community of knitters with over 9 million subscribers. For the bookworm, Goodreads offers over 150 million membership levels.

Letterboxd is an app, a dream come true for movie buffs to catalog and review movies they have watched. This service has grown from 1.8 million users in March of 2020 to over 14 million today. Growth like this shows that people are gravitating toward apps about their interests rather than apps specifically used for social interactions.

Meanwhile, on more mainstream social media, such as Twitter-some people refer to it now as X and have criticized it for its primary negatives-many people have simply had enough with the drama and arguments. Some are migrating to more recent apps such as Bluesky and Threads, offering different user experiences from Twitter/X, while others flee the negativity found within to hobby apps where they find camaraderie in like interest.

According to Jess Maddox, a digital media expert from the University of Alabama, the more major platforms rely on algorithms to show users content, the less people actually see what they want. That has driven many toward niche apps where they can focus on specific interests and enjoy more meaningful interactions. “Social media users have been turning towards niche apps and spaces for a long time,” says Maddox.

And hobby apps are also much friendlier places than the more cutthroat worlds found on a lot of larger social media outlets. Such apps enable people to connect over common hobbies instead of going into heated debates, says Dr. Carolina Are, a social media researcher. On Letterboxd, which is an online discussion forum for movies, for instance, it discusses movies rather than politics. Thus, that makes it friendlier and more hospitable.

Because hobby apps are focused on interests rather than broad social networking, they don’t have to spend as much time and energy monitoring content. Letterboxd, for example, employs a small handful of moderators who handle content issues. They hardly ever need to step in, because the community is generally respectful. Big platforms such as TikTok and Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram, employ thousands of moderators to manage huge volumes of content and complaints.

A number of them are also finding their love on such hobby apps. Unlike dating apps, which feel superficial and pressure-filled, hobby apps offer a more relaxed atmosphere. According to Dr. Are, the dating apps feel like “dating supermarkets” where appearance is usually the prime selling factor. In contrast, hobby apps create spaces in which people connect over shared activities and interests that can lead to more genuine relationships.

It could also be reflected in how matchmaking companies, like Match Group, the parent company to popular dating apps such as Tinder and Hinge, have struggled to make money. Match Group’s stock price has plummeted, and just this past summer, they announced layoffs tied to a decline in users. That seems to indicate people are going away from using dating apps and instead finding companionship via their hobbies.

Overall, hobby apps are becoming a breath of fresh air in the middle of the stressful and divisive atmosphere of major social media platforms. They propose a more focused, kind, and interest-based way to connect with others. Whether it be running, books, or movies, these apps keep proving to be a great place to meet people with similar interests and forge new relationships.

As these hobby apps continue to grow, they could be integral to the way people socialize online. They represent one aspect of an increasingly positive and personal level of interaction in the digital age, and it is most definitely apparent that many users are ready for something different from the mainstream social media world.

The next time one desires to get in touch with people, let them try a hobby application. Whether one likes running, knitting, or watching movies, a community awaits.