Dating has always been hard. Anyone who has been through the rigmarole of scrolling, swiping and dates ending badly even after all the effort would agree. Now that the world has been in the spate of a near-unprecedented pandemic, the dynamics of the dating world are only going to become more complex.
Singles looking for meaningful relationships will have to do more than just look for tips for online dating profile to bolster their chances of ‘meeting someone’. Here are 5 ways the coronavirus pandemic may change the dating scene – and for good:
1. Spike in Online Dating
With people being confined to their homes and social interactions reduced to a bare minimum, the online dating trend is already seeing a spike. In the days to follow, even as life limps back on track and a new normal is established, more and more people are likely to turn to free dating sites for an antidote to their loneliness. Even those not looking for a serious, long-term relationship, would want to give online dating a chance to satisfy that inherent human need for personal connections.
2. Virtual First Dates
As social distancing becomes the norm at least for the foreseeable future, online dating will become more virtual in its character. First dates will be set up on video calls instead of meeting up for drink or coffee, and many dating apps may set up a video calling feature to facilitate that without people having to exchange contact details if they don’t want to.
3. The Three-Week Waiting Window
Even after people connect on a dating platform and hit it off instantly, they may want to wait before actually going out on a real date to make sure that the other person is not a virus carrier. Since a lot of people with a good immune system tend to remain asymptomatic despite being corona positive, a three-week waiting window between connecting with someone and going out on the first date may well become the new normal.
4. Steering Clear of Long Distance Dating
Restrictions imposed worldwide have made international – and in some cases domestic – travel a slim possibility for the near future. Owing to that change, a lot of singles out there would prefer to get matched with people in their physical proximity. Dating platforms that have dedicated dating services in different parts of the world can come in handy in that pursuit.
5. Casual Hook-ups on the Backburner
A person’s coronavirus status will supplant their STD-risk factor when it comes to being intimate. Given the sneaky nature of this virus and its highly contagious nature, the culture of casual hook-ups will take a back seat at least for the immediate future. Irrespective of how long they have been without sex, singles will not want to get in bed with someone they don’t know. Cultivating meaningful relationships will be the focus for now.
The coronavirus pandemic is sure to have a deep impact on the dating dynamics and may change the future of relationships for the better.
