Statistics show that Australians (and the rest of the world) are currently living through what some researchers call a loneliness epidemic. Chances are you’ve seen this quoted or mentioned many a time on social media. Ironically, the tools we use most to connect — dating apps, social media, etc — are leaving many people more drained than fulfilled.
Recently, a wave of new options and experiences have started to show up in Perth, each with the aim of tackling part of this social problem. The latest launches its debut event this week at one of our favourite wine bars, Besk.
The rise of disconnection
The data is quite sobering. The ABS Measuring What Matters framework recorded in 2022 that 20 per cent of Australians often feel lonely. The Ending Loneliness Together coalition, drawing on national survey work, found that one in six Australians experience severe loneliness and one third report being socially disconnected.
Other studies illustrate the erosion of intimate connections. A Snapchat-commissioned Pure Profile study released in April 2025 found that 44 per cent of Australians say they don’t have a best friend. For men in particular, social networks can be fragile — Ending Loneliness Together reported that nearly one in four men lacked close friendships.
The consequences are not abstract. The Australian Institute of Health and Welfare warns that social isolation and loneliness are linked to poorer physical health, higher rates of depression and anxiety, and increased healthcare use.
The nature of WA’s economy and its primary drivers emphasises this more so than other states with a more centralised, higher-density population.
Dating app fatigue
For more than a decade, dating apps were seen as a solution. Tinder, launched in 2012, revolutionised the way people met. Swipe left, swipe right, couldn’t be simpler, right? By 2018, Tinder was reporting more than 1.6 billion swipes per day globally. That’s a lot of screen action.
Then Bumble launched; then hinge, and a swathe of others, each with a slightly different angle on solving the problem.
But enthusiasm for dating apps in general has waned. Pew Research in the US has found that while use of apps remains high among younger adults, satisfaction is low, with a majority reporting frustration at the quality of matches and the behaviour of other users.
That fatigue comes from multiple directions from being overwhelmed by having too many options to incessantly swiping without evergetting a match or conversation. People also report increasing rates of ghosting and the implied rejection that goes along with it, and bemoan the superficial nature of swiping left and right based on a series of photos.
So, what are the alternatives in 2025
In response, people are experimenting with other ways of meeting, and most of them are in-person.
Run clubs have had a surge in popularity the last few years, as have other small social clubs. From wine clubs and book clubs to cooking classes and private members clubs like Lawson’s Flats, people are looking for IRL options for growing social connections and meeting a potential partner.
And then some have simply stepped back. Anecdotally, more people are opting to disengage from dating entirely, instead investing in friendships, family, or personal pursuits.
What all these shifts have in common is a return to what sociologists call “third spaces” — environments that are neither home nor work, such as cafes, libraries, parks, and bars, where people can connect, build community, and have informal interactions.
Elsewhere Social Club
The latest addition to this cultural moment launches this week.
Long time hospitality fixture, Aeson McKay, known best for his former venue, Nevermind Smallclub, is launching a new take on socialising — Elsewhere Social Club.
Elsewhere is pitched differently. It’s not about late-night hedonism but midweek connection.
Aeson McKay explains, “I’ve spent 18 years creating spaces where people feel part of something bigger. Elsewhere Social Club is the evolution of that mission, a way to get people offline, into vibrant venues, and connect authentically with others. It’s not a dating service; it’s an invitation to meet, mingle, and rediscover the joy of human interaction.”
Individually tickets events to ensure safety and encourage connection with new people. Conversation cue cards for those who find small talk difficult. And most importantly, no apps.
Launch event and upcoming dates
The first Elsewhere Social Club event takes place at one of our favourite wine bars, Besk, in West Leederville on Thursday, September 18th.
From there, the club will move across Perth venues:
- Thursday, September 25th at Si Paradiso in Mount Lawley
- Thursday, October 2nd at Servo in Leederville
- Thursday, October 9th at The Camfield
If you’re interested in going, tickets can be found here.
