Daters Overwhelmingly Turning to Apps Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
Contributed by: kellyseal on Monday, March 16 2020 @ 09:18 am
Last modified on Wednesday, April 08 2020 @ 07:50 am
We might be social distancing, but rest assured - singles are looking to dating apps to keep their love lives going during the coronavirus pandemic.
A recent survey conducted by Dating.com found that there was a spike in dating app activity among users in countries around the world as the coronavirus becomes widespread. As many as 82 percent of singles are turning online as they self-quarantine in their homes.
From those surveyed, more than 50 percent of daters said that they would be interested in conducting online dates to get to know people they’ve met online to avoid spreading or catching the virus. Thirty percent of those surveyed said that they are going to just stick with messaging and chatting with matches using their dating apps until they are able to meet up in person. Notably, only 5 percent of singles reported that they are going to stop dating altogether until the virus passes.
Sixty percent of those surveyed were already using dating apps (their preferred method of meeting people), even before the pandemic was declared.
It seems singles don’t want to abandon their romantic lives, even as they are staying home and avoiding large crowds. So Dating.com put together a few ideas for virtual dates, just to give daters ideas of how to engage during this time where we aren’t physically going out:
- Watch a movie together (virtually): Pick a movie that neither of you has seen, make some movie snacks (for yourself of course) and watch the movie together over video chat simultaneously. (Pretend you’re there together on the couch.)
- Play a game: Not into multi-player video games? Don’t worry, there are other options. You can play games that don’t involve consoles and allow you to get to know each other such as Two Truths and a Lie or Never Have I Ever. Or try your hand at something old-school like 20 questions.
- Make dinner "together": Pick a dish that you and your date have never had before and make it together over video chat. (I don’t like to compare, so maybe you just compliment each other on your efforts…). Pro tip: try looking up YouTube videos for quick and easy recipes if you’re a novice. There’s no need to impress or feel intimidated.
“Dating in general can be difficult and now with the coronavirus rapidly spreading, dating has become even more of a challenge all around the world.” says Maria Sullivan, Vice President and Dating Expert of Dating.com. “Online dating such as text chatting and video calling is a great way for singles to have that human connection, while not increasing the risk of catching the infectious virus.”