There are many complaints about modern dating: Apps have created chaos, and the need for instant gratification. No one wants to invest, commit or even make a choice. Singles are quick to discard imperfect connections. And daters lack the skills to actually build upon those connections.
Some amateur matchmakers in Salt Lake City who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are trying to change that culture of flakiness by pairing people up and requiring them to date for a full month. Christine Cooke, a 29-year-old single lawyer who created the dating challenge — called Thirty Day Bae — says she was inspired by reality-TV dating shows such as “The Bachelor,” “Married at First Sight,” and 40 Days of Dating, a 2013 experiment in which two friends in New York committed to seeing each other for over a month.