Online dating apps like Tinder have been popular for a long time but for the time being it is likely the only chance many have of finding a romantic connection.
In my own experience on dating apps, I learned pretty quickly that meeting up in person early on saved a lot of time. One could waste so much energy messaging someone only to find they look nothing like what you expected, there is just no chemistry or even something strange like they can not make eye contact!
Now single people are being forced in many most parts of the world to exercise social distancing and social meeting places like bars and cafe’s are closed. The conversations must continue in the virtual world if finding a partner is still an interest at a time like this. Let’s not kid ourselves though, of course it is an interest. Perhaps it is ever more pressing for some as people around the world are separated from each other, alone in their homes and quite frankly afraid.
Perhaps deeper connections will happen as people are forced to refrain from meeting and even getting intimate with each other. Maybe a way to further growing online connections is to utilize video apps like FaceTime. I personally can’t say as I am not single but as someone passionate about human behaviour, mental health and healthy romantic relationships, I am wondering.
I know that one downside of online dating can be the temptation to communicate with many at once. For a lot of people this is or was the norm of dating. When you met your online prospect in person, you had to assume they had many other prospects on the go and maybe you did too. For a lot of people this is an enjoyable way to date but in the long run it can actually reduce our chances of making a long term connection. Though the last point there is deserving of another blog entirely, I will summarize by suggesting that when we keep our dating options very open, we remain somewhat closed to being vulnerable and open with one person. The risk is that we can develop many superficial but safe relationships but loose out on the connection that develops when we focus on just one person.
So now what? You can’t really meet in person or at least you shouldn’t. Will those who are single continue the status quo of building virtual connections with many others or will you choose to focus on one person and see what could develop? Will online dating during Covid-19 force us to go deeper before meeting? Will social distancing actually result in more lasting connections developing?
I’d love to hear from others on this! Single people out there, how are you coping in the new world of Covid-19 dating? Will you chat with many, will you try to develop a relationship further without actually meeting and what will that look like? Have you shut the door on dating entirely or do you feel that the pandemic has encouraged you even more to pursue a romantic companion in this life?