20 Ways Dating Has Changed Since the Pandemic
The effects of COVID-19 on the dating scene and how it effects relationships today.
- Cyra Sanchez
- 7 min read
The pandemic was a rollercoaster for everyone and its impact left a lasting impression on the world of dating. After being forced to isolate from one another, reconnecting with people seems to be harder than ever. That’s why dating seems more like a challenge that many people struggle to overcome. Find out in this article the 20 ways COVID-19 completely changed people’s outlook on modern romance.
1. People embraced diversity even more
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While it’s already normal to date someone whose ethnicity is different from yours, the pandemic has made it become a more common sight. That’s because more people started looking for connections online, even if it meant that they’ll fall in love with someone on the other side of the world.
2. Online dating became more popular
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Dating apps have been around for quite some time now, but they broke records when the lockdown happened, and most people were forced to find connections online. Nowadays, the pandemic is over but the trend of using dating apps has stuck around.
3. LGBTQ+ members are more open to dating
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Just like how people embraced diversity, members of the LGBTQ+ have found more comfort in coming out of the closet and loving each other loud and proud. That’s also thanks to the recent changes in state laws where dating and marrying someone of the same sex has become legally accepted.
4. More women preferred casual relationships
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As people had to isolate during the pandemic, studies revealed that more women now prefer casual relationships than serious ones. They say that having so much time alone helped them realize how they don’t have to follow the pressure of being traditional women who can’t date for fun.
5. Hook-up culture has become more popular
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Hooking up has always been part of the dating scene, but the pandemic has made it more popular. As more people flock to online dating apps, it has become easier to find someone willing to hook up especially when they’re both lonely individuals.
6. It’s harder to find the right partner
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Ever since the pandemic, more people struggled to find someone they can get along with. Usually, they’ll notice something right away that turns them off and they’ll walk out without hesitation. With more people looking for relationships but not knowing which ones are looking for something serious or casual, the pandemic has surely made dating more difficult than it already is.
7. Less people are interested in dating
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The pandemic taught people to love and embrace solitude more than companionship. As a result, more people have lost interest in dating because they feel comfortable in their single lives. This fact is also backed up by the dropping birth rates across the world.
8. Physical closeness became scary
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While some people are into hookups, some have also withdrawn from the idea of being physically close to anyone. That’s what the fear of the virus taught us during the pandemic and it seems that social distancing has become the norm nowadays. Due to COVID, more people are afraid of getting sick so they avoid cuddling or even sitting next to their partners.
9. More people now prioritize their mental health
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The pandemic encouraged people to focus more on themselves instead of rushing to find relationships. Undeniably, this is one of the good things COVID has done for people that can still be observed to this day. After all, it’s hard to enter relationships when you also have problems related to your mental health.
10. Many relationships don’t last long
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Many people were bored out of their minds during the pandemic and that’s why many relationships didn’t last long. A relationship started by boredom is bound to collapse one way or another and unfortunately, this trend seems to be still in effect in today’s dating scene.
11. Doing virtual activities as a date became normal
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Back then, people who only dated virtually were frowned upon by society and were often called weirdos or social outcasts. But since the pandemic, virtual dating activities such as playing games together, constant video calling, and watching movies at the same time have become normal. And until now, these activities are still accepted and people no longer judge you harshly if you and your partner love doing virtual activities together.
12. People’s standards either dropped or improved
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The pandemic only has two effects on people in the dating scene and it’s either positive or negative. This involves influencing people’s dating standards. All the time spent alone during COVID could have encouraged someone to raise their standards or pushed someone to lower theirs out of desperation to remedy their loneliness.
13. Dating is no longer a priority for many people
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Even if some people haven’t lost interest in dating, many would still rather not prioritize finding love. Instead, they’d rather focus on finding themselves or pursuing their dreams. These factors make it hard to find serious relationships as more emotionally mature individuals withdraw from the dating scene while those who just want casual relationships are more common than before.
14. Younger adults have a hard time trusting others
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Since online dating became more popular, it also became easier for dishonest people to take advantage of the lonely hearts they meet. That’s why many young adults today find it hard to trust others because cheating is easier than ever. Other than cheating, lying or hiding certain facts about themselves is also a common experience today.
15. Finding true love is possible but harder than before
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You’ll hear a lot of successful dating stories that happened during the pandemic. However, it seems like this is a rare occurrence and may only happen to people who got lucky and met their soulmates. In today’s dating scene, meeting the perfect match has become harder after the effects of COVID-19.
16. More people tend to have social anxiety
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It’s obvious how much the pandemic destroyed many people’s communication skills and ability to socialize. Due to that, many adults and even teenagers have developed social anxiety. This makes it more challenging to meet your special someone because they might just be stuck in their homes refusing to socialize with others.
17. Choice paralysis became a problem in dating
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When you have a lot of free time on your hands, you end up paying more attention to everything else around you just to stimulate your mind or cure boredom. That’s why many people unknowingly suffer from choice paralysis. This means they believe there’s always a better option for them even though it may never come, as a result, more relationships end up failing after the pandemic.
18. Society has become more aloof or anti-social
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Many people have become comfortable with the idea of being alone, thinking they no longer need someone else just to keep going in life. While this is a nice quality to have as an individual, it seems that the pandemic has completely convinced some people that it’s better to not socialize at all. As some individuals say, the fewer people you have in your life, the less drama you’ll have to face.
19. It’s easier to find the wrong match than the right one
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With the popularity of dating apps, many people who were just bored during the pandemic may always swipe right even if they don’t think they’ll find a good match. That’s because people are just desperate to form connections in order to cure their loneliness. And due to the many failed connections, some people have completely lost interest in giving online dating a chance.
20. People don’t give as many chances and lose interest faster
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The pandemic also made it easier for people to hold grudges while making it harder to seek someone’s forgiveness. That’s all because of social distancing which prevents you from properly communicating with your partners. Today, the same pattern still occurs with more people finding it easier to walk out of relationships or quickly give up on someone because they no longer know how to properly face conflict.