The pandemic has encouraged people to video chat and connect before having to face real world distractions.
Like most things in the world right now, dating has been heavily impacted by the coronavirus. Social distancing guidelines encourage people to stay home and away from their loved ones, never mind strangers meeting through dating apps. While singles quarantined alone are reporting a lot of stress and loneliness, some experts believe that, in the long run, the pandemic might alter dating for the better.
There’s always been some sort of crisis going on in the dating world, whether it’s a declining marriage rate, declining sex rate or the much maligned “hook up culture,” which encourages momentary and abundant connections without real depth.
The pandemic is reshuffling that a bit. Despite the fact that people are not meeting up in person, they are video chatting a lot. The New York Times reports that 69% of Match.com users are open to video chatting with dating prospects, with a large cluster of them already doing this. Before the pandemic, only 6% of people were interested in video calls.
RELATED: People In Relationships Are Using Dating Apps While In Quarantine
Looking at people — even if it’s through video — is a much different experience than looking at a photo, exchanging a few quick words and rushing to meet up on a date. Speaking to this person through a video chat or a phone call allows you to get a realistic impression of them, one you could not accurately get from a traditional social media profile.
According to the New York Times, the pandemic has created a temporary fix for the two most important issues we stumble upon when dating: sex and money. “When singles meet in person, they’re obliged to navigate this nether world: Should I kiss him or her? What if they invite me back to their pad?”
RELATED: What Will Sex Look Like In The Post-Pandemic World?
There’s no need to worry over who’ll pay the bill, the gender imbalances that implicitly exist or how long you have to wait until it’s appropriate for you to kiss and hook up with this person. The pandemic creates an environment where these situations are temporarily off the table. In the long run, the connections made throughout this time period could prove to be more impactful and long lasting.
