Romance

Image: TInder

Dating app Tinder has released its new dating trends report for 2023, and one of the main findings of the Year in Swipe point to singles wanting a range of dating experiences, rather than being so focused on finding “the one.”

In other words, more singles were interested in their own dating journeys rather than the destination, with Tinder noting that there was a 5.5 times increase in users adding statements in their bios like: “Everything I do is for the plot.” NATO dating was also a big phrase – “not being attached to an outcome.”

Singles also said they embraced “main character energy” in 2023, alluding to stories they can share about their dating lives with their friends (and followers on social media). They said they looked at the dating process as a way of building a roster of new experiences and memories (to add to their personal stories), which took the pressure off outcomes. It also left room for “self-exploration through dating,” according to Match Group’s release.

This summer, young daters have been more interested in tossing aside geographical boundaries and looking for love in faraway places. They are also looking for short-term romance that comes to an end after the vacation is over.

According to Mashable, 33 percent of Bumble users are embracing “wanderlove” - the prospect of pursuing love interests outside of where they live. And young singles want to experience adventure and romance in a new place. Travel is the top priority for these daters, and if they can have an “expirationship” - a little bit of romance along with it that can end when they finish their travels, even better.

Part of this growing trend is due to post-pandemic work models, where many people were able to move to where they wanted to live, rather than stay where their workplace is located. Young people with no kids are especially interested in traveling, rather than putting down roots in a specific place.

Singles are turning to their travels to find romance this summer, a term that’s being dubbed “wanderlove.”

According to a new survey from Bumble, a majority of 53 percent of people on its app are looking for a holiday fling this summer instead of searching for longer-term options closer to home.

Part of this trend could be due to the number of singles who choose to travel alone to explore new destinations and are looking to meet new people along the way. Bumble found that almost 30 percent of its users meet people over the app when they travel alone, and 52 percent say that dating people abroad is a fun way to learn about new cultures, according to UK website Indy 100.

Netflix dropped its first trailer for the new series The Ultimatum: Queer Love, which will premiere on the streaming service in May.

The trailer is a departure from the original Ultimatum series because all of the couples on the new dating reality show are LGBTQ+ for the first time. According to The Pink News, the new series promises to “showcase more stories of love, relationships and the ups and the downs of commitment” with “brutal honesty” as each couple hits a crossroads in their relationship.

Notably, as show creator Chris Coelen promised last year, this installment would feature “an all-queer cast made up of women and non-binary people.”

Image: Netflix

The wildly popular dating reality series Perfect Match has been renewed for a second season by Netflix. The series debuted in February of this year and spent five weeks on Netflix’s Global Top 10 English TV list, and reaching the top 10 TV lists in 58 countries, according to Deadline.com.

The show doesn’t introduce new singles to its audience – instead, it brings together stars who remained single after they left other popular dating reality shows like Love is Blind, The Ultimatum, Too Hot to Handle, and The Mole.

The characters convene on a tropical island (per usual for reality shows) and try to find their “perfect match.” The twist is that the singles have to compete to form relationships, and the most compatible couples have the most power. These couples play matchmaker, with the ability to break up others and send them on dates with other singles they invite to the villa.

Image: Amazon Studios

Cosmic Love, a new astrology-based dating reality series launched by Amazon Studios, has become a hit among young Gen Z daters. Instead of experts doing the matchmaking, the show leaves it to the contestants’ birth charts.

The premise is already popular – more than a third of Gen Z singles use astrology to decide who they date. Dating app Bumble announced it is rolling out astrology-based features for its platform based on its own user surveys.

According to website Her Campus, the new series was developed in part by celebrity astrologists the Astrotwins, also known as Tali & Ophira Edut, the official astrologers for Elle magazine and who co-founded an entire astrology-inspired brand called Astrostyle (which includes a series of astrology-based novels). They wanted to extend their brand to television, and despite being Gen Xers themselves, have drawn young Gen Z viewers.