Candace Cameron Bure isn’t mincing words when it comes to modern dating — and she thinks phones and fear are getting in the way of real connection.
The actress recently shared her thoughts on today’s dating culture, saying she’s noticed a growing hesitation among men when it comes to approaching women. Speaking on “The Candace Cameron Bure Podcast” during a conversation with Madison Prewett, Bure reflected on how much dating has changed since she met her husband nearly three decades ago.
“What I believe is lost today is human connection because of our phones, because of social media, because of dating apps,” Bure said. While she acknowledged that dating apps and online platforms can be helpful tools, she warned against letting them replace real, face-to-face interaction. “I’m not saying that those aren’t good tools. I know lots of people that have met on dating apps, or even you, on a dating show,” she said.
But Bure emphasized that meaningful relationships still require effort and courage. “A person’s not gonna drop on your front door like an Amazon package,” she joked. “So, you do have to put yourself out there and not hide behind your phone or the screen or be afraid to have a real conversation with someone to talk to them on the phone and not just text them.”
According to Bure, that fear is becoming more common — especially among men. “I just find that people — and I’ve seen it in men, I hate to say it — but I have found that there are more guys that I feel like they’re scared to talk to women,” she explained. Meanwhile, she said, women are often left waiting for someone to make the first move. “And then the women are just kind of waiting there going, ‘Hello, you wanna come, whatever, ask me to dance or ask for my number to go grab coffee or whatever.’ And people are just scared.”
Her advice? Take the risk anyway. Bure encouraged people “to be willing to put yourself out there, talk to people in person,” and if a relationship starts over text, to “switch it quickly to a phone call or in person.”
She also urged singles to be intentional about where they spend their time. “That’s the other important key,” she said. “Find other social groups that have people that are like-minded.” Instead of hoping to stumble into the right relationship, Bure believes people should place themselves in environments where they’re more likely to meet someone who shares their values.
Even long-distance relationships, she said, shouldn’t be written off. “Just don’t be scared of it,” Bure explained. “Because if it really is meant to be, one of you can move eventually. And all of that is OK, but don’t be afraid of that effort. I actually think it kind of makes it more exciting.”
Bure has plenty of personal experience to draw from. She and her husband, former NHL player Valeri Bure, married in June 1996 and share three children: Natasha, Lev, and Maxim. Now that her kids are adults, Bure says she enjoys close, friendship-like relationships with them — something she credits to years of intentional parenting.
“We cultivated those strong relationships as they were young and all throughout their years in their small youth and then teenage years,” she told Fox News Digital. “And now that they’re adults … now’s the time where you get to be friends with your kids. And it’s pretty awesome.”
For Bure, whether in parenting or dating, the message is the same: real connection takes courage, effort, and a willingness to step out from behind the screen.