In 2020 we saw the use of dating apps sky rocket, and now we are in 2021 the UK has just been put into yet another national lockdown, and Britons across the country are now wondering if the chance of finding love is off the cards again this year. The pandemic has completely shaped how we navigate our relationships, and over the course of the pandemic, dating apps have reported even higher online engagement than in previous years, whether it is driven by social distancing or the cold weather, there is no doubt that a lot of people looking to form relationships this year will take place on smartphone apps and dating sites.
And now as we enter the third national lockdown, we have a constant backdrop of anxiety and couples are spending too much time together, therefore couples are now beginning to find that quarantine isn’t quite the aphrodisiac that they could have been hoping for. Here are a few things that I am doing to find love during the global pandemic.
Using dating sites and apps
According to data from OkCupid, daters sent more than 35 million intro messages in March, which is about 4 million more than in the same time frame last year. More than 90% of its users say they’re dating virtually. There’s also been a 5% increase in folks looking for long-term relationships and a 20% decrease in those looking for hookups.
There’s a huge group of online daters who are trying to go about their lives, and several months into the pandemic, people are still struggling with working from home, let alone how to look for love and build a relationship with someone through a screen and not actually meeting them.
Even before the pandemic, the number of adults who meet people online has significantly increased in recent years, and much of this growth can be attributed to the rise of smartphone dating apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr.
After outbreak of the virus and the ensuing lockdowns, the number of people using dating apps in the UK went through the roof. The pandemic has also accelerated relationships, with many couples having to move in together and form a social bubble to continue seeing each other.
Singletons have been using the pandemic to get creative with dates, with outdoor dates and zoom calls proving a popular option for socially distanced meet-ups.
As someone who currently lives in Lincolnshire, I have been looking into Lincolnshire dating site and dating agency Lincolnshire to chat with new people online and help to cure some of the loneliness I am currently feeling. I currently live alone so for me it is more important than ever to keep in touch with the outside world and also some other people who are in similar situations to me with no one to keep me company other than the occasional bottle of wine!
This lockdown, I would love to encourage people who may be in similar situations to get online and meet people, as it really does help to chat to people and keep your mind engaged. You may even find the one along the way!
