New Dating App Survey Shows Coronavirus Pandemic’s Major Impact on Romance and Dating
The worldwide coronavirus pandemic may still be keeping many people physically apart, but it hasn’t stopped them from looking for romance. But how they’re going about it — and what they’re looking for — has seen something of an evolution during the quarantine months.
In a new user survey conducted by the dating app SweetRing, 46% of respondents say that they’ve been spending more time on dating applications during their shelter-at-home period. Additionally, 22% of respondents say that they have spent the same amount of time as before the quarantine.
It has not been idle swiping, either — 57% of users indicated that they’ve been talking more with their matches; nearly 23% profess to spending “a lot more time” in their messaging with each match, while over 34% say they’ve devoted “a little bit more time” in their conversations. For a quarter of aspiring romantics, there’s been no change and only 19% say they’ve spent less time talking with their matches.
SweetRing is an app preferred by people looking for serious relationships and its users only became more serious during the global health crisis. In total, 47% of users said that the pandemic changed the level of commitment they were seeking in a relationship. In fact, men were slightly more likely to admit seeking a new level of commitment, with 48% answering in the affirmative to 45% of women.
Of those whose ideal level of commitment shifted, a whopping 86% of users said they were looking for something more serious.
Further, the kind of partner that people are seeking has also shifted. In total, 40% of people say the virus has changed the values they’re seeking in a partner, and 80% of those respondents say they’re looking for partners who are more responsible.
As for going on in-person dates, SweetRing users had more mixed opinions. Nearly 60% of respondents said they were willing to go on dates now, but there was a large gender split: only 52% of women said they’d be up to date now, while 66% of men were ready to jump back in. Nearly 29% of all respondents said they’d only be ready to date after the lockdown was completely lifted. That includes 34% of women and 21% of men.
The survey also indicated that dates themselves may be in for some changes, at least for a little while. A full 60% of users say that they’re willing to ask dates to take certain precautions. Just over 25% of respondents say they’d socially distance from dates (think walking six feet apart), 21% say they’d ask a date to take their temperature, and just under 13% admit to wanting to ask for a negative COVID-19 test.
As for the ultimate question, 65% of users said they’d be willing to kiss on a first date after the pandemic. That includes 42% of women users and 25% of men.
Finally, 72% of SweetRing dating app users say they have not gone on any dates during the quarantine.