Navigating the dating world is daunting enough. Throw in the pandemic, and it’s downright hellish. Earlier, chatting with a ‘match’ on a dating app was a step towards meeting IRL, that is, an actual date. Now, texting is all you have. Wait…except for virtual dates. It can be a tad bit frustrating though to inquire “Can you hear me?” again and again. Or worse, have the screen freeze on an unflattering image of your date!
Curious as to how other singles (or non-singles, not judging!) are braving this ‘new normal’, we reached out to the folks at Bumble. Earlier this year, the online dating app conducted an in-app survey to find out the effects of the pandemic and the consequent lockdown on their community. And the results were quite interesting!
Over 3000 people globally, including over 400 Indians (both men and women), answered dozens of questions about their dating habits pre and post-lockdown. Scroll down to read how Millenials and Gen-Z everywhere are approaching online dating during the pandemic!
1. Change In Attitude
70% of the participants claim there is a change in their behaviour and attitude towards dating as compared to before the pandemic.
2. Slow Dating Is The New Normal
81% claim they are more open to taking their time getting to know someone. This kind of ‘slow dating’ is bringing forth conversations that may have otherwise happened over two or three dates.
3. Virtual Dating Is Here To Stay
78% of single Indians feel the need to trust their match before meeting them IRL. So, people are talking for a longer period of time, and are using increasingly using features like Voice Calls and Video Chat in the app. People are spending roughly
20 minutes on average
on a video chat or voice call.
4. Anxiety Over The Future
The research found that 83% of users are more interested in dating during these times, while 63% of users are anxious about the future.
5. Women Take The Lead
Women in India have now made the first move over 15 million times and are sending twice the number of messages as compared to women in the rest of the world.
6. Socially Distant, Yet Connected
When the lockdown was enforced in India in March 2020, there was a 19% increase in the number of messages sent in just about a month’s time, along with a 38% increase in video calls between March 2020 and May 2020.
7. Seeking Meaningful Connections
Nearly one in two chats turned into something more meaningful with multiple messages exchanged. With limited chances of meeting IRL, people are navigating these challenging times by seeking more thoughtful conversations and meaningful connections.
Are you dating virtually? We would love to know how it’s going for you! Please share it with us in the comments below.
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