The game of love is always changing. We have gone from a woman should not be alone with a man if they are not married to having sex before you even know the person’s name. To clarify, I am not shaming today’s dating tactics. I am a firm believer that as long as it isn’t harming anyone, how someone goes about meeting romantic partners is none of my business. However, there is a long-running joke that the initial stages of today’s relationships between young couples do lack a little romance. You are bound to miss some traditional parts of the “honeymoon phase” when the dates don’t come until after the sex.
Dating has been another mundane task that the pandemic has changed for us. Dating app experts and creators who specialize in biological anthropology have commented on what they have noticed. According to Helen Fisher, the chief science adviser of Match.com, the pandemic has forced people to slow down in their pursuit to establish a relationship. Daters are more cautious in meeting up with anyone, in fear of spreading or catching the virus. Because of this, more singles are requiring a handful of virtual dates first. These precautions bring back the getting to know you stage of the relationship that has been on the backburner.
However, video dates bring something to the table that in-person dates never did. They allow people to skip the small talk. According to studies done through the most popular dating sites, video chatting has empowered daters to be more forward in getting to know their potential partner. The questions that many might be hesitant to ask on a first or second date have become topics of conversation right away. If you conclude someone is not a good fit, there is no more waiting it out till the end of the meal anymore. You end the call. No one wastes time or money in the process.
The app users who do find potential partners have reported they are experiencing more romance now than they have in past relationships. They are also receiving much quicker success in finding someone who is a good match for them than they were before the pandemic. App employees say Zoom calls have sped up the process of elimination, which in the past took some people weeks.
Love experts can’t say for sure whether dating will speed back up again or not after the pandemic. There are a lot of factors to take into consideration. For now, let’s enjoy the romance in a year that has brought a lot of grief.