Dating apps never worked to me because I was inexperienced and wanted to take my time to get to know the person (I mean like meeting a few times over a few weeks or months), but on dating apps there is this commonly shared nonsense that the first date and impression must all be perfect, or it's doomed.
My advice would be to make friends, spend as much time as you can outside (or meetups when friends are not an option) meeting random people in various contexts.
Also a couple of considerations:
- Love at first sight is a trap. It is more likely that 'the one' will seem 'meh' to you at first. You need to meet people multiple times to get to know them.
- Don't only meet people that are potential dating material. It is very important not to have this mindset, because it affects your behavior and image negatively. Socializing with people of both genders and all ages is also a very important part of that.
Plus you get to vet people before creating any expectations of an outcome.
By contrast, there are plenty of kids who are alone and would be grateful if someone gives the the love of parents. There are already here, no need to bring more. Why is having shared genes is necessary if you just want to love a child?
1. Do things you like 2. Where would the guy you want to date go to socialize?
I've met some really interesting people at maker spaces. Never dated anyone there.
I always thought habitat for humanity would be cool/useful/fun/have interesting people, but they don't do it around here.
I haven't been, but you might try https://austinswingsyndicate.org/
I always make better friends when I'd go places regularly. When I was younger, I'd hop around to a new place frequently. I didn't build lasting friendships this way. Find something you'd like to do for a while.
Volunteering to help out at events can lead to meeting more people.