Dating Trends in 2021: the Survival Guide for Singles

We have lost the opportunity to go on dates, but people did not stop getting to know each other: online dating apps have unprecedented user activity, while Zoom and FaceTime have replaced cafes and cinemas.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, most countries of the world imposed severe restrictions. Restaurants and parks were closed, and people stopped communicating due to the risk of infection. It would seem that these conditions should have jeopardized the very existence of dating. However, when there are no alternatives, people manage to master various online means for dating.

Statistics show that during the pandemic, people began using online dating services like Meetville more often. Today, dating apps take the leading lines in the rankings of the highest-grossing non-gaming apps. Many people say that communication has become more emotional during quarantine, and singles still yearn for close contact at such a difficult time. However, even online, everyone is discussing the coronavirus. Ironically, talking about movies boils down to the fact that you no longer go to cinemas.

Some Meetville users say they feel pretty relaxed about face-to-face dates during a pandemic. At first, they panic a little. Many are afraid that they would no longer be able to go outside and communicate with people, but their feelings changed as the pandemic went on. "When the situation stopped looking so threatening, I wanted just to walk with a guy after a few days of texting. I felt that people have become more open. Tony lives on the same block, so we took a short walk. I was not afraid to get infected since we were both wearing protective masks." - says Angie, single woman from NY. However, not everyone is that brave. That is why people start video dating.

Video dating

These days, a conversation on the phone has turned into a video call. It actually replaces the first date, while it was considered pretty weird before the pandemic. Video dating has become one of the main dating trends, and it usually happens via FaceTime. "During the pandemic, I had several FaceTime dates. During these dates, we no longer discuss the corona, thank God!" - says Olivia, our user from Houston. As it turns out, you can use FaceTime to recreate the atmosphere of a first date. “There was a guy who invited me to have a tea party because we can't go anywhere,” Olivia continues. - I took my huge tea mug, and we had a great talk! There was another guy, we talked about cooking and grilling. He offered to arrange a dinner with wine. I was a little nervous, but everything went great. A glass of wine in your hand feels relaxing. We even clinked glasses through the screen."

So what are the most popular dating trends for 2021?

Zooming

Zoom is a video conferencing platform that most of us weren't aware of before the pandemic began. Now this company's price is higher than of any American airline. This is because of the forced isolation - the interest in the platform has increased dramatically. People use it for work, education, and personal life, especially dating. There is even a new phenomenon called "zoomlandering" that happens when your Zoom date constantly checks themselves in the camera to make sure they look good enough. Well, who can blame them? We all want to look attractive on a date, even if it's an online one.

Inner-party dating

Are you one of those people who proudly say they would never have any relationship with a person of different political views? Well, if your answer is yes, then you’re not alone. Nowadays, a partner’s political views, for some, are a real dealbreaker. People tend to say that dating across political parties just doesn’t work for them. If partners, relatives, or friends find themselves on opposite sides, they have to choose what is more important to them - family values, friendships, family ties, or their righteousness.

More selfies, please

As most of us have been locked inside our homes for the most time of the year, we will not have that much to upload on our social media and dating profiles. No pictures from the beach, parties, or crowded events. We will have to rely on perfectly shot selfies to attract someone. So if you want to take another perfect selfie for creating an account on a dating site, smile more. Most people prefer a smiling face to a mysterious one.

Sanitizing

Yes, sanitizing. And we do not mean disinfecting here. When talking about dating, "sanitizing" means removing pictures and deleting all proofs of all your ex relationships from your social media pages. Are you a "sanitizing" fan?

Hey & Pray

Do you remember sending hundreds of "hey" and "hi" messages to almost everyone you see on a dating app? Well, this is considered spamming, you know. Anyway, we all pray that this will work, and at least a couple of them will reply. This mostly relates to men, though, as women consider "hi" to be a very unimpressive opener for the first message. Some of them just don't know what to answer back to a "hey" thing.

Read also:  How To Break The Ice With The First Message

Anyway, we all adapt to something new very quickly. Especially when we are driven by something as primitive as the need for communication. For the same reason, the pandemic is changing our approach to dating and building relationships. Chances are, it can change our habits forever. But let's hope it's all for the best!