By: Gracie Swind, Managing Editor
With bars and clubs closed or mostly closed for the foreseeable future, singles have had to look for love in other places, namely online. While the practice of online dating was never a foreign one, many singles who had never considered it before are now creating profiles for the first time and dipping their toe in the online dating pool.
Online and app dating has gained the reputation of being “impersonal,” “shallow,” or simply for hookups. This belief is likely due to the arguably most popular dating app on the market, Tinder, which tasks users with swiping left or right (no or yes) based on the person’s profile pictures and bio.
There are more dating apps than Tinder, though, and with the pandemic causing engagement in hookup culture to become more dangerous than before with the added risk of infection, more and more people are turning to all the dating apps – even Tinder – to look for meaningful, lasting relationships. In addition to Tinder, there’s Bumble, Hinge, Hily, Plenty of Fish, Match, Coffee Meets Bagel, OkCupid, and countless others; some are free from start to finish with only the option for paid premium features while others require a monthly (or weekly, in some cases) paid subscription just to access the app.
Earlier this year when the economic shutdown kept everyone homebound, Bumble “saw a 20% increase in San Francisco, Seattle, and New York” in messages sent, while on Hinge, there was a 30% increase in messages. On March 29, Tinder achieved a record-high in swipes, with over 3 billion in one day.
Over on OkCupid, dates have gone up by 700%. So people are doing it, but how exactly do they get past the messaging phase?
Couples who want to go on a date with one another often turn to Skype or Zoom dates for a first ‘meeting.’ Dates can range from ordering contactless delivery from the same restaurant to their respective houses and then eating together over webcam, drinking coffee or alcohol and talking, or even arranging a synchronized movie night using the ‘Netflix Party’ feature.
For couples who might want to meet in person, communication is key. If both parties are willing to assume the potential risk of infection, there are safe ways to meet in person in the form of masked luncheons or careful dinner dates.
The key is to communicate with your partner and make sure they are truly comfortable with meeting in person. Although kissing and other forms of physical affection are likely going to be off the table for most individuals, patience and an open-mind might help some individuals find a lasting relationship even while six feet (or more) away.
