The Rise of Social Clubs: Are We Craving Real-Life Connection? | The Hop Pod Ep 144

In a world where almost everything happens online, social mixers & social clubs have been on the rise. But what’s really driving this trend — and do they actually work? In this episode, we’re exploring why people are craving more face-to-face interaction, and whether digital connection is no longer enough. We also hear from both a social mixer organiser and a social club founder as they share what it takes to bring people together. Along the way, we ask the big question: can these offline spaces truly lead to meaningful, long-lasting friendships? 00:00 Teaser 00:59 Topic of the day 01:27 Guest Introduction 02:45 Social clubs vs social mixers 03:06 Have you joined a social club or mixer before? 04:04 How did your social initiatives start? 06:57 How do you shortlist sign-ups? 08:16 Do run clubs need a “quality check”? 08:51 What happens when you reject people? 10:14 Does personality matter? 10:42 Common personality traits among participants? 13:14 Do regulars become clique-ish? 14:02 How do friendships continue beyond the club? 15:25 Does it feel like a job sometimes? 16:46 The Question Pod: Monthly Check! 19:51 Why are social clubs booming? 22:45 Why make new friends over investing in existing ones? 24:39 Are some people joining run clubs just because it’s trendy? 25:16 Do people join run clubs to find love? 29:59 What expectations should attendees have? 30:35 What are the downsides of these events? 31:36 How vulnerable is too vulnerable? 34:00 Advice for people who want friends but dislike social events? 34:54 Outro 35:16 Bloopers FOLLOW US ON SOCIALS INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/yougotwatchsg/ TIKTOK: http://tiktok.com/@yougotwatchsg 🌱 TAUGEHS 🌱 Nicholas: https://www.instagram.com/nicholasyeam/ Joie: https://www.instagram.com/joietan/ Q (Yun Qian): https://www.instagram.com/lyqian/ Joell, founder of Dinner With Strangers: https://www.instagram.com/dws.sg/ Dorcas, founder of that run club: https://www.instagram.com/that.runclub/ 🎧 SUBSCRIBE & LISTEN 🎧 Spotify: https://bit.ly/thehoppod-spotify Apple Podcasts: https://bit.ly/thehoppod-apple MeListen: https://bit.ly/thehoppod-melisten Powered by Mediacorp, contact us at: Creatorsnetwork@mediacorp.com.sg