Way back, long before this pandemic, the world of dating started drifting towards the virtual side of things. But now that the coronavirus is in town, we cannot help but adopt strategies to keep dating even beyond the era of this disease. The disease has a very sharp rate of transmission from minimal human interaction and coming into contact with contaminated areas.
Let’s imagine that Joe who is not affected steps out to meet his friend, Donald, who has been infected but is asymptomatic. During their interaction, he is infected. Now he has a date with Stacy which ended in a kiss. She might get infected too. And that’s how serious this thing is.
Beyond the above, it is obvious that COVID-19 is threatening human physical meeting and socializing. The idea of quarantine, self-isolation and stay home has reduced social gathering of people to zero. As expected, this is adversely affecting all forms of human-to-human relations.
In a region ravaged by COVID-19, for instance. The possibility of Stan finding a date physically is zero and the possibility Donald of going out with one when a match is made on dating apps is close to zero. Even if Stacy will have to go out on a date with Stan eventually, they must observe the social distance rules and other health regulations, which is not fun at all. That is an example of the effect of COVID-19 on dating and romantic relationships today. In fact, newer rules are emerging if relationships must survive.
Dr. Benjamin Karney, a professor of social psychology at the University of California did say that for couples to happily live through the times of this pandemic, they must learn how to negotiate. Negotiation has become key in romantic affairs as couples who negotiate are at advantage while couples who do not negotiate their differences will have yet another challenge.
People can also consider long distance relationship in these days just to maintain the company of the person they find pleasing even if the company is virtual.
Like Helen Fisher, an anthropologist and longtime adviser on Match.com said, catastrophe enables us to take the next step of our lives. She said that some of the things people didn’t seem to need before now (such as a partner) will become necessary for them. And those who hadn’t paid attention to their relationships but has now realized how toxic it is will be plotting an escape from it by way of divorce.
There is high-rise in the usage and subscription of the dating apps in this time. The rate of video calls on this app has also increased tremendously because of the desire to see the face of another person. Bumble, Hinge, Tinder have all recorded an increment in text per week as well as video calls. Tinder even launched a passport feature to enable talking to any person anywhere. The League has launched a speed-dating media, which relies on video call. Therefore, without a physical meeting place, people are now engaging in virtual socialization and dating while staying put indoors.
This pandemic has also led to more intimacy talks between singles. Given the impossibility of a physical meet, partners have no other choice than to engage in plenty deep conversations. Fisher considers this a good thing as it’s bringing in the experience of deep-seated courtship before sex.
The world of dating post COVID-19 will be very interesting. It will be a retro to the vintage dating, in which there is a long time of talks and intimate communication with less of the urge to engage in coitus on the first date. People are really adapting to it and this will continue in the post COVID-19 era as most women say it is safer and less time-consuming for them.
For Dwayne Foreman, the man behind the Shoot Your Shot Dating app, the COVID-19 menace might inadvertently leave a positive mark on the dating atmosphere . In his words: “Our bodies may be locked down in our houses but our emotions roam the streets nonetheless. At this point, people are beginning to learn what is important and what is not important in dating”
He added that “There is now more emphasis on individual perspective than just sensual intimacy or the countless biases people use when trying to find a date. People now have the opportunity to have meaningful, relevant discussions which help them know if they are each other’s kind of person”.
It is safe to conclude that relationships will experience a paradigm shift from the old ways after COVID-19. In earnest, there will be a surge in the usage of dating apps, and you better be on the right one to increase your chances of landing an ideal date.
