There are a lot of icks when it comes to dating. Maybe it’s the guy who calls himself an “entrepreneur” but can’t explain what he actually does. Or, maybe, it’s the way he says he’s “not really on social media” but somehow has extremely specific opinions on certain TikTokers. But the latest ick creeping into Gen Z dating culture doesn’t live in a group chat or a Hinge prompt — smart glasses are quickly becoming the most polarizing accessory for young daters. “I was at the club with some of my friends, and then all of a sudden, this man took a sneaky photo of us with his Meta AI glasses,” Emily*, 22, says. “Even though the picture came out very cool, and we all looked hot, I felt super weird [about it].”
Designed to take photos, record videos, answer questions, and whisper information into the wearer’s ear, smart glasses (like the popular Meta glasses, or the viral Viture Luma Pros) promise convenience, “effortless connection,” and futuristic flair. But Gen Z isn’t buying it. What these smart glasses are delivering instead, according to many Gen Z singles, is a deep sense of unease. In short, it’s less “meet-cute,” more “terms and conditions.”
Consent isn’t optional, and smart glasses blur the line.
Eloise*, 23, isn’t sure how she feels about smart glasses. “I don’t like the fact that you don’t know if you’re getting recorded or not,” she says. “I think that’s a very big consent issue and such a violation of privacy.” Research from Cornell University shows how online spaces already reflect structural inequalities, with women disproportionately affected by harassment, hate speech, and trolling. And new technologies like smart glasses introduce a new kind of vulnerability — one that makes it harder for women to feel safe in public, not just online.
And it’s not just Eloise. In a world where everything could be screenshot, recorded, or sent to a group chat, the idea that your date might also be quietly capturing audio and video through their glasses doesn’t feel innovative — it feels invasive. “I would be so horrified and immediately paranoid that [my date was] taking freaked out pictures of me or something,” Emily says. “I would feel deeply concerned about their taste and moral compass, or lack thereof.”
In May 2024, Ray-Ban and Meta rolled out a video about privacy while using the glasses, hyping the idea that you’re in control of your personal privacy settings and privacy considerations for others. The video failed to mention protections for people unknowingly being filmed without their consent. Her Campus reached out to Meta for comment, but didn’t hear back by the time of publication.
For some, smart glasses also introduce a quiet power imbalance into dating. “I am definitely concerned that people will start using them for devious reasons,” Taylor*, 22, says. When one person shows up wearing a device that can subtly record, scan, and process information, the other person becomes part of that system, whether they consent or not. Even if no recording is happening, the possibility alone changes the dynamic and encourages self-monitoring on top of second-guessing.
According to licensed clinical social worker and counselor Melissa Gallagher, even the perception that smart glasses could be recording or surveilling — whether or not that’s actually happening — can change how people behave. “Studies show that [smart glasses] reduce attraction and emotional openness,” she says. “Another study found that more than 60% of adults did not want to use or be around devices that could record them without their consent. And that unease can easily snowball into an unpleasant feeling, not because of anything they have done, but because uncertainty is scary.”
Smart glasses might be high tech, but they’re giving low effort.
Smart glasses are supposed to be the future, but for a lot of Gen Z, they’re starting to feel like the fastest way to kill the vibe. “There’s a guy in my Interactive Media class who just got them, and we were all put off by it,” said Christina*, 23. “Like, why do you really need the glasses?”
On paper, smart glasses are kind of amazing: sleek frames with hidden open-ear speakers so you can take calls, send messages, and play music hands-free. Some even have ultra-wide cameras that shoot crisp, 3K Ultra HD video, so you can capture moments without pulling out your phone. “Using tech like that is good for the right purposes,” says Lila*, 19. “I saw someone who was blind using them while shopping to ask what color something was, and that’s a really great use for them.”
But the problem with smart glasses isn’t only what they can capture in photos or videos — it’s what they begin to replace. “It’s just a sign of where a person might want to cut corners,” Bella*, 20, says. “I don’t think this shows self-care or personal growth — it’s more about what’s trending and cool, and where that money could’ve also gone.”
I don’t understand the point of the built-in camera. But if a guy was wearing them every day for everything, I find that freaky.
Elizabeth*, 23
When technology moves from documenting moments to mediating them, that’s where the line gets crossed. “Asking your glasses, or any AI tool for that matter, what you should get for your partner’s birthday based on what it remembers about them is not a proper use of the tool,” Lila* adds. “That’s using data to replicate ‘love’ for your partner rather than you putting in the work and loving them yourself.”
What’s meant to be seamless and hands-free ends up reading as emotionally unavailable and overly tech-obsessed. “I always thought they were a gimmick/waste of money, and some people just need to have the latest product,” says Elizabeth*, 23. “I somewhat get using them as headphones, but I don’t understand the point of the built-in camera. But if a guy was wearing them every day for everything, I find that freaky.”
Partners wearing smart glasses read as being mentally elsewhere.
At their core, smart glasses symbolize a version of dating that feels more performative than present. Though advertised as a way to keep you in the moment, some Gen Zers argue that the discreet speakers and constant voice commands do the opposite, making it feel like you’re more plugged into your AI assistant than the person sitting across from you. “We already struggle with most people our age using their common sense,” says Bella. “It comes off as if they don’t want to do the work. If they can’t do a simple day-to-day task, what effort would they put towards a relationship with another person if they won’t give the time to the world?”
For a generation that grew up with the internet, smart glasses feel less like a helpful tool and more like a reminder that nothing is ever truly between two people. Bella adds, “It fosters this dependency for something else to figure something out for you rather than using your own brain. If you rely on a pair of glasses to walk around and see the world — when we already have phones in our pockets, cameras to capture things, and Google Images to look things up — the glasses honestly don’t feel productive. They feel like a lazy replacement.”
If I met a cute guy and he pulled [smart glasses] out, I’d know immediately that he wastes money on needless items that will not make his life that much easier, hurts those involved in gathering those materials, and creates a higher carbon footprint than those without them.
Grant, 22
Environmental concerns add another layer of discomfort. “I hate that people are ignoring the fact that Generative AI uses far too much energy and wastes materials such as water,” Grant*, 22, notes. “If I met a cute guy and he pulled them out, I’d know immediately that he wastes money on needless items that will not make his life that much easier, hurts those involved in gathering those materials, and creates a higher carbon footprint than those without them.”
The bigger issue might be that dating culture is becoming AI-dependent.
Maybe most importantly, smart glasses clash with what Gen Z actually wants from dating right now: presence. Soft life. Slow love. Real eye contact. Undivided attention. When someone is constantly checking their glasses or casually announcing they “can just look that up,” it sends a clear message that the date is competing with a device — and losing. “Our vigilance increases during dating, and wearable technology can definitely aggravate this,” Gallagher says. “Trust and consent rank high on the list of concerns for most people when dating, especially women.”
And in a dating culture already struggling with burnout, ghosting, and emotional unavailability, the last thing anyone wants is to feel like they’re also competing with an algorithm. Smart glasses can turn conversations into potential data points, moments into possible recordings, and chemistry into something that can be replayed, analyzed, or shared later. Instead of leaning into connection, they invite detachment.
So are smart glasses actually “ruining” dating? Not on their own. They symbolize a version of romance that feels overly optimized, overly documented, and emotionally distant. Gen Z is actively craving slowness, softness, and sincerity, so showing up to a date with a device that can record, transcribe, and whisper in your ear reads less like innovation and more like avoidance. “I think it’s embarrassing to date someone with those glasses because it’s like you’re a bot,” Carly*, 22, says. “The next step is literally a microchip in the brain.”