100% agreed!
I jumped back into the single market not too long ago and have been avoiding the apps like the plague, while my friends continue to complain about being stood up or having shitty matches. Personally I'd rather spend an evening catching up with an old friend, than trying to hold in a fart in front of someone I'm trying to impress (Read, hiding all flaws for fear of judgment). Meanwhile, if I spend that time doing a new activity with a new group (Which I have been!), I'll meet more people and have much more genuine conversation, with a higher rate of connection! And in fact, found a GF fairly quickly doing that!
I have had success with apps in the past (Mostly because I did this experiment back in college to see what the other side sees, and try to avoid being THAT guy) and have seen long-lasting success for others! But will try hard to avoid them moving forward.