Dating during pandemics & covid-19 lockdowns
Many people have turned to online dating during Coronavirus, prompted by the human need for connection, companionship and romance.
Jan 15, 2021
How to date during Covid
Singles worldwide have always looked for an opportunity to connect with others and exchange personal and cultural information via online dating. Dating during Covid is no different except for the fact that people might decide to meet in person after the threat of the current pandemic has passed. Meanwhile, they use many of the features of online dating available to them: messaging, sending Likes, chatting and video chatting to get to know other singles and find a meaningful connection with others.
Staying indoors more than usual during these times can also get a bit lonely for some, prompting them to take the time to create an online dating profile, reflect on the need for a relationship and browse through other singles’ online dating profiles. Online dating websites provide the safest and easiest means for people to continue their love life from the comfort of their homes.
Tips on how to online date during Coronavirus
- Create an online dating profile: Take the time to fill out a detailed online dating profile complete with your personal information, specifics on your interests, lifestyle and personality as well as what you are looking for in a date. The more detailed you get in your description the likelier it gets to match with someone with whom you have many things in common.
- Familiarize yourself with the online dating website of your choice: Each online dating website is unique and offers many features and ways to interact with other users. Getting more familiar with these various features will help you in navigating the website and making the most of your experience there.
- Log in daily to check for new member activity: Once you have created a profile and have gotten to know your way around the online dating website, continue to log in daily to see if you have received any new Matches, Likes or messages.
- Activate email and push notifications: You do not want to miss the chance to connect when another single person sends you a live chat invite. Ensure your notifications settings for any new message or email from the site are set accordingly.
Things to take into consideration when dating during Covid
Since these are uncertain times, matches you connect to online might be extra careful about meeting in person. Singles are more concerned about their health and safety due to current events and might decide to take longer before agreeing to meet someone on person.
Instead of letting this be a setback, it might be more useful to take the time to get to know one another better through chat, text and video. The video is a precursor to meeting in person and can provide many clues about a person’s demeanor as well as subtle clues on how they respond to the conversation. This is a chance for both singles to share more personal details and find new ways to bond while staying at home.
Aside from communicating, you can also suggest fun activities to do online: playing online games, streaming a movie or sharing each other’s music playlist. The idea is to make the most of the time spent together regardless of the fact that you are not in the same geographical location with the person you met online.
You can also view this as a long distance relationship while the two of you date online and look forward to the time when you can safely meet in person.
It is also important to consider and be respectful of each other’s personal health situation and how much the two of you are willing to go out for a date in a public place. Everybody is different when it comes to the precautions and risks they are willing to take so respecting each other’s personal boundaries is the wise thing to do.
It is not uncommon that during Covid singles might decide to get tested for Coronavirus before meeting someone in person and even expect the same of their date. At first this might seem too much but pandemic times call for extreme measure so for everyone’s peace of mind and health singles might get tested before their first date in person.
Another thing to take into consideration is that in case the two of you really decide to take things further meeting each other’s families and friends will probably happen at a later time. For some people, introducing their date to friends and family is an important part of the whole process of dating however, this step might have to wait until it is safe for it to happen. This is another opportunity where you can introduce your date via video and although it’s not the same as getting together for a family dinner or a gathering with friends it still signals to the person that you have the intention of later introducing them to friends and family.
The thing to remember when dating during Covid is to try to make things as normal and natural for yourself and your date. Don’t let things like not being able to go out to a bar or an indoor restaurant stand in your way. Should you muster up the courage to invite someone for a first date in person think of other locations to meet such as a park for instance or another public space compliant with the health safety measures which are in effect due to the pandemic.
Some people have been using online dating for decades already and some might turn to meeting someone online for the first time now due to the pandemic and the desire to date safely online before connecting in person. For those new to online dating, start with the tips above and for experienced online dating users the suggestion is to expect they will need to invest more time in getting to know their match online before meeting in person. This can be thought of as a long process of “engagement” which ultimately yields benefits by keeping both partners safe and also not rushing into a relationship.
And lastly, online dating should not be taken for granted. Although it does not have the same in person feel to it, there are many ways to connect online and share an important connection with someone there and this is just as valuable. Waiting to meet your date in person during Covid is definitely a challenge but it also trains you to be more patient which later might turn useful for the course of your relationship.