AFTER A LONG and lonely lockdown, Theresa Causa was ready for love. To find it, the 40-year-old nurse practitioner in San Antonio turned to the new dating app "S'More," which helps users pair up by literally shifting the focus from physical appearances to mutual goals and interests. When matches first connect, they see only blurred versions of each other's profile photos, along with bios, hobbies and answers to prompts like "What are your top 3 qualities in a match?" As they exchange messages, their photos gradually un-blur. "I was, like, 'This is for me,'" said Ms. Causa.

About a year ago, when I was hanging out at a bar after work, talking about dating--the swipes, the winks, awkward IRL meetups, and, in my case, a message from a swinger who wanted me to help him with a woodworking project in his garage while his kids were at school--a friend brought up a new site called the League. "There's a wait list," she said. "I want to get on it." The League, for the uninitiated, is the ivy-covered country club of dating apps, designed for people who are "too popular as it is." There's a rigorous screening process--"We do all that dirty work for you"--that takes into account where your diplomas come from, the prestige of your titles, and, crucially, your influence on social media.