I think this actually the "root" of the problem. Women are constantly wearing headphones, heads in their phones, desperately trying to ward off attention at every turn. See this article questioning if women are just done with men.

https://franklinwuhoo.medium.com/have-women-completely-given-up-on-men-8ead16dae877

I'd like to think this was wrong, but I've received no comments indicating that it is. Rather I get comments agreeing with me that women are so preyed upon that they all end up hiding in some secret bunker. So, it isn't about confidence, or neediness, or anything like that. You're not going to get anywhere if you can't get past "hello", interrupt someone and interact with them. There are so many ships passing in the night because no one is willing to step out of their comfort zone. Maybe you should write and article about how to get past "hello". That might be useful. All the confidence in the world isn't going to help you approach someone who looks like they're about to mace you, is hiding in their apartment or just doesn't want to meet anyone.