Tips

The new year typically brings new dating trends, and according to Match, Zoomancing, icing out, and coupling season will be the breakout stars, at least in the UK.

Match Dating’s Expert Matchmaker Hayley Quinn has predicted that these trends will take off in the new year, after closely watching the pandemic alter dating habits at an unprecedented level.

“Zoomancing,” or virtual dating, isn’t going away anytime soon, she told the U.K.’s Mirror. In fact, Match reported that 18 percent of its users continue to date virtually, even when they could have met in person. This is in large part due to Covid infection surges throughout the last two years and the emergence of new variants that have continued to cause more concern, even as more people get vaccinated. Lockdowns might not be required anymore, but singles remain cautious with people they are just getting to know. Plus, dating virtually offers people a chance to get to know each other before meeting in real life.

Several of Japan’s largest companies have turned to an AI dating app to help their employees find love during the pandemic.

According to Kyodo News, about 800 companies have signed up to offer the app Aill goen to employees, with the aim that they will be happier and more productive workers if they are in a good relationship. Companies are also hoping the dating app will provide a way to help employees who might be struggling with their mental health, since they have been unable to physically interact with others because of lockdowns.

The pool of matches will be limited only to participating company employees, providing a level of safety and accountability for users of the app. Aill goen is being offered to employees as part of their benefits package at work, according to Kyodo News. 

Tinder just debuted a new ad campaign in time for the holidays, one of the busiest times of the year for dating app users. The company hired creative agency Mischief@NoFixedAddress to appeal to young Gen Z daters, its target audience.

According to The Drum, the new ad tagline is “you’re not for everyone,” and highlights in a funny way some unusual passions of singles that not everyone will find endearing. The ad is meant to assure its users that no matter how unique their interests are, there will always be someone who’s into the same things.

The first ad features a woman doing astral projection from her living room floor surrounded by candles who loses her zen focus when a roommate wanders in.

Match’s latest Singles In America study found that a majority of daters are looking for maturity and stability in a relationship, a result of people feeling lonely and isolated from the pandemic and longing for deeper connection.

According to the study, only 11 percent of singles want to date casually, while 62 percent say they seek more meaningful, committed relationships. And 65 percent are eager to find a relationship within the next year, particularly younger singles – 81 percent of Gen Z daters and 76 percent of Millennials.

Match also found that 83 percent of singles said they want a partner who is emotionally mature, and 76 percent said they want a partner who is looking to get married. This is up from 58 percent just two years ago, and interestingly, younger adults and men are most interested in marriage.

Dating should be easy, but it never is. How do you meet someone and what do you do on a date? There are always dating sites and even professional matchmakers. Dating sites can be successful, but it usually takes several tries before you meet someone you want to date again. The idea of a professional matchmaker screening potential dates takes the excitement out of meeting a potential life-partner on your own.

It is possible to start dating without help from a website or professional. You might need to make a few changes but it will be worth it when you finally meet your "perfect" person. Here are seven dating tips that might improve your love life.

Summer: the season of swimsuits, sunscreen, ice cream, state fairs, outdoor movies, park picnics, umbrella drinks, bonfires, BBQ, trashy beach reads, and road trips.

This year, Match.com celebrated summer by teaming up with travel planning platform Roadtrippers for a one-of-a-kind survey on the perks, perils, and pet peeves of road tripping with a romantic partner. Over 1,500 singles shared their insights on making it work (and the turn-offs that guarantee your automotive adventure will be a wreck).

Nearly a third of singles (33%) agree that a road trip is a very significant milestone in a new relationship. But not all singles take it so seriously - an impressive 60% think it’s ok to attempt a road trip after just one month of dating a new partner.