The rise of COVID-19 has transformed dating into a perilous prospect; thank Cupid dating applications have accommodated the circumstances. These platforms have safely cured loneliness during the most disconnected year of our lives.
Before the pandemic, singles were meeting each other at bars, restaurants, and social gatherings, but since the world shut down, public romance venues have changed their status to unavailable. Meeting an eligible suitor has become more of a challenge than forcing him to meet your parents.
It is not desperate to join a dating app during a global lock-down; the digital marketplace has become the hot spot for Coronavirus dating. The teams behind companies like Hinge, Tinder, and Bumble have transformed their platforms to make finding a partner more accessible.
Bumble, for example, has introduced Virtual Dating Badges which signal you are interested in video chatting and has broadened your Distance Filter so you may match with people across the country (Bumble). People are biting at the chance to engage during a period of isolation; from March to May 2020, Bumble’s video calls increased by 70% (Fortune).
Match Group, the parent company of more than 45 dating brands and controller of over 60% of the dating app market, reported a 15% increase in Match subscribers from February 29th to July 31st, 2020 (Business Insider). The rise in numbers is indicative of how much humans value connection, and are willing to be vulnerable to satisfy those needs.
Before COVID, there was a growing stigma around joining dating apps. Many people judged members for participating in a hook-up culture that encouraged meaningless sex over the emotional connection. Others saw online dating as the last resort when your love life is hopeless.
The reputation associated with dating apps, post-pandemic has transformed entirely. Because the physical aspect of partaking in, for instance, Tinder is a safety hazard, people have grown to reimagine this virtual space as a vehicle for finding a more sentimental form of love. The taboo around using Tinder for a ‘quickie’ or ‘fake date to your brother’s wedding’ has decreased as we universally changed why we are swiping right. People are no longer hooking up offhandedly, they are looking to remedy feeling secluded; the purpose behind using the app, now demands our empathy.
The benefits of online dating during this period were unexpected and outlandish. Once people established relationships through the screen and felt it was time to meet in person, dating apps ensured that this next step was not reckless. In the past, hygienic, safe sex was not emphasized. In a COVID era, Tinder warns users to follow CDC recommendations, like constant hand washing and social distancing; they added a popup that informs, “Your wellbeing is our #1 top priority” with a link to the World Health Organization for further resources (Business Insider).
With these instructions in place, couples hoping to meet have to feel a sense of confidence that the other person is trustworthy and shares similar values. Before the first in-person-meet-up, users have to assess whether or the candidate is worth the risk. This evaluation makes or breaks a relationship much earlier in the process of dating than we usually experience. While unanticipated, dating apps have expedited the process of reflecting on how strongly you feel for a person and if they hold the qualities you are searching for in a lifelong partner. This unprecedented structure of online dating has guided people to really consider their relationship principles and the true nature of a connection.
By modifying the codes of dating etiquette, singles have entered relationships that hold significance beyond what was expected.
I did not use dating apps because I was one of those nonbelievers in the supposed virtue of online dating. After examining how the dynamics of this culture have shifted over the course of Coronavirus, I am reconsidering joining this community. I am not the type of person who enjoys futile experiences, so the new style and offerings of these environments are appealing to me. Dating through these apps pushes users to thoughtfully gauge the authenticity of a connection and allows us to realize our standards in a partner.
“Bumble - Stay Home and Put Yourself Out There With These New Virtual Dating Tools.” Bumble Buzz, bumble.com/en-us/the-buzz/virtualdatingtools.
Editors, Fortune. “Activity on Dating Apps Has Surged during the Pandemic.” Fortune, Fortune, 12 Feb. 2021, fortune.com/2021/02/12/covid-pandemic-online-dating-apps-usage-tinder-okcupid-bumble-meet-group/.
Meisenzahl, Mary. “These Charts from Match Group Show More People Are Turning to Online Dating during the Pandemic.” Business Insider, Business Insider, 5 Aug. 2020, www.businessinsider.com/tinder-hinge-match-group-dating-apps-more-users-coronavirus-2020-8.
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