Between national lockdowns and social distancing, Covid-19 has not only challenged but changed the dating landscape as a whole.
But how does dating work in a time where physical interaction with strangers is now seen as taboo? The simple answer: online dating.
Online dating has become more popular than ever before, and is one of the industries that has actually surged due to the pandemic.
In March 2020, Tinder recorded its highest number of swipes on a single day with over 3 billion, OkCupid saw a 700% increase in dates and Bumble video calls increased by 70%. According to the data company Apptopia, the top 20 dating apps have gained over 1.5 million daily active users in 2020.
Many users have opted to download multiple dating apps to “cast a wider net.”
Christian Williamson, 24, was no exception.
“I already had Tinder and Bumble installed before the pandemic, but after Covid hit, I downloaded Hinge, Bumble and Upward. Upward is a Christian dating app, but everyone on there was weird and I would get matched with guys 5,000 miles away,” she said.
Even though the threat of the virus has stopped eager daters from meeting in person, these platforms have added new features that are pandemic friendly.
Both Tinder and Bumble offered a passport option that proved to be very popular allowing users to swipe and match with other matches around the world.
Hinge added a “Date From Home '' feature to see if both parties were interested in taking their online relationship to the next level, a video date.
"Live video transforms those moments of loneliness into moments of connection," said Catherine Connelly, SVP of marketing at The Meet Group.
“I have been on very few dates, but most of them have been virtual,” Tolu Oluwa, 26.
He has been actively swiping on dating apps and even initiated a few video call dates so as to not spread the virus. Oluwa said that not being able to meet his dates in person and get a sense of what they are like in public made it hard to connect and further their conversations. The first call would be exciting, but after a few calls the relationships would eventually “fizzle out.
Recently, Tinder gave away free Covid mail-in testing kits for an individual and their match. Even though these dating apps are excelling with their virtual features, they hope as the pandemic eases, users will be able to meet in person again.
Comments