Has lock down changed the dating scene forever?

We have now been in lock down for what seems like forever. In fact, when I try and picture what it’s like to be in a crowded bar or in the audience at a gig I can barely imagine it. It’s hard to believe that we were all doing those kinds of things all the time only a couple of months ago. Life perpetually at home has become normal.

One aspect of life that has changed massively has been the online dating scene. For one, I’m sure every dating site has seen a massive upswing in new members as most of us find ourselves with more free time. Those who might not have previously considered online dating now find themselves on dating websites as – let’s face it – we can’t meet people the old fashioned way. We all have more time now to ponder what we want out of life now, and for a lot of people, this might be that they want a relationship.

Dating via video calls has become the new normal. One of the ways I think the online dating scene will change in the long term is that, rather than waiting weeks to find a date in the diary that works for both parties to meet in a bar, it could become normal for people to just hop on to a video chat with a potential love interest to see if there’s a spark. In fact, it might become the norm to have 2 or 3 video dates in a single night.

The upshot of this is that those who are looking for a committed relationship might find it sooner, as there are fewer barriers to connecting to potential partners.

Pre-lock down, you would have to make sure you were really keen on someone prior to committing to spending a precious evening with a date. But now, I believe people will be more willing to chat to people who they might not consider their usual type, because there is nothing to lose and nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Another thing that will come out of the increased use of video dates, after meeting on a dating website, is that there will be more of a focus on conversation rather than just immediate physical attraction. People are feeling all kinds of feelings right now, and most of us are looking for someone to talk to, so I think there will be a shift towards more deeper and meaningful chats rather than just flirty banter.

I also believe that long distance relationships might become more common. After all, at the current time, even if you were chatting to a potential match who lived two streets away, you’d be no more able to meet with them in person than someone who lived 300 miles away. So people will be more willing to branch out and make connections online with people who aren’t in their local area.

Overall, far from it being a bad time to try and find a partner, I’d say this is a great time to start dating online if you are looking to meet someone.

This has been a collaborative post