- - 'Hopeless Romantic Society' Host Shares Ways to Find Love in the Digital World amid the 'Nonchalance Epidemic' (Exclusive)

Meredith WilshereJanuary 18, 2026 at 11:30 PM

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Courtesy of Jahad Carter

Jahad Carter -

Jahad Carter, host of the "Hopeless Romantic Society" series, talks to PEOPLE about dating in the digital world

Carter has heard countless dating horror stories while hosting his man-on-the-street-style series

Now, he shares his tips for finding real connection amid the "nonchalance epidemic"

Jahad Carter knows that finding love and dating in the digital world can be hard – and has talked to countless strangers to back it up.

The 27-year-old influencer hosts a man-on-the-street-style series, "Hopeless Romantic Society," online, and has built a platform by talking to people about their dating struggles. Carter has grown comfortable approaching strangers on the streets, often opening with a version of the same question: "What was the craziest thing you ever did for love?"

While he has gotten some shocking responses, one key takeaway from the interactions is that people need to “stop overriding our wiring" when we "pick up on dangerous, shady behaviors," he says.

Carter emphasizes the importance of "honoring our nervous systems," and reacting to red flags accordingly.

“Just because you love someone and you wanna practice loyalty, you'll abandon yourself when in reality ... those butterflies, they're not always the best thing to actually go through and feel — that's your body telling you that there's something there," Carter shares.

Courtesy of Jahad Carter

Jahad Carter

"I noticed that a lot of people tend to, when they're looking for love, they don't listen to themselves," he adds. "I feel like that's where intuition tends to come too. It's listening to that wiring in your body."

While hearing people's stories, he says he processes “in real time the haplessness" of ordinary people trying to find real connections.

Carter, who is still looking for love himself, notes that while it's great to feel excitement and butterflies while dating, it's just as important to find someone who makes you feel calm and at ease.

“I'm learning as I've gotten better in the dating arena, that the calmer and calmer that I feel when opening up or interacting or meeting someone new, that is something that I feel like I wanna go closer to," he shares. "That boredom is something that we need and not take for granted any longer. So I feel like when you get that, that's when you're finding the right connection because it just easily falls into place.”

For those looking to get back into dating after being hurt or leaving a past relationship, he emphasizes: “Take your time.”

“I think it's best to stay away from nightlife outings with a lot of alcohol [and] party situations and try to really find someone in a very slow and manicured way," he says.

Despite posting his life online, Carter also encourages people to put their phones down and look for people in their orbit.

"We need to bring back the meet-cutes. We need to bring back the coffee shop dates, we need to bring back the library, walks in the parks," he says.

"Take your time and listen to yourself and your nervous system. If you feel like something is too much for you, don't push yourself. Take deep breaths, go to therapy, and slow it down," he adds.

Carter also says that you should “never feel silly” in relationships, especially amid a "nonchalance epidemic," when people are “afraid of connection, or they're afraid of showing and wearing their heart on their sleeves."

“Don't be afraid to put yourself out there and share that you love and care for someone," he says. "There is a nonchalant epidemic. Express your love. Don't feel silly about it. Don't feel like you're delusional if you love someone and wanna post them."

Courtesy of Jahad Carter

Jahad Carter

He explains that, nowadays, people are afraid to show that they care out of fear that they will appear needy and vulnerable, which ultimately leads people to feel disconnected.

“I feel like [that's] what the issue is, is a lot of people are afraid to open themselves up to hurt," Carter says. "No matter what, I think what we need to do is still put ourselves out there, show up as who we are."

While it can be easy to linger on someone who seems to be keeping their options open, Carter says he "definitely does not think that we should award bad behavior."

“If someone's being avoidant and someone's being, like, nonchalant about their connection with you, and especially when you feel very strong and you want someone that can share their emotions or share how happy they are about a certain thing, then you do not spend your time waiting for someone to show up and be present with you in the connection," he says.

For Carter, he's going to keep listening to his own advice and look out for his very own meet-cute.

on People

Original Article on Source

Source: “AOL Entertainment”