Corona caused a lot of disruption in our lives: our social life, our work life and, most of all, our dating life. It has been a year since the beginning of the corona crisis. The question is: what has changed in our way of dating?
Singles explain that COVID-19 has made dating harder and more laborious. Social contact has been limited drastically, so one of the few ways to meet your potential partner is through dating apps. However, this is not the same as in real life. It is more impersonal and there is a low chance of actually getting a relationship via those apps.
In the Netherlands, apps like Happn and Tinder got more popular. From March to September last year, there has been an increase of 215.000 people using Happn. The number of messages on the app increased by twenty percent. The video call function in Happn is also used more: 56% of the users even consider calling their match before the first date. On Tinder, people are swiping more than ever. On the 29th of March, Tinder had recorded the most swipes in history: more than three billion swipes in a day.
However, the fact that dating during times of a pandemic is harder does not mean that it is impossible. There are people who got into a relationship during the pandemic. Times like these push people to be creative and sometimes their creativity pays off. According to Maria Sullivan, vice president of Dating.com, outdoor dates are the dates where love might still find its real-world spark. Furthermore, there are some advantages to dating during a pandemic. First of all, you get to know someone quicker and much more in detail. Second of all, as mentioned before, the use of dating apps is at an all-time high. Thus, it is more likely that your ‘one’ is between all those singles.
So how do you increase your chances of finding love during these times? We will supply you with five tips:
1. Don’t be too quick to give up dating. Give it some more time. Your perfect match is on their way.
2. Don’t draw conclusions just from digital contact.
3. Video call each other!
4. Plan a date soon! No more than three weeks after initial contact.
5. Always go on a second date (unless your date is a creep of course). It will be much less awkward than the first one and you are giving each other another chance to really get to know one another.
Dating Ideas to Try During Corona
It is hard to come up with creative dating ideas during the pandemic. How can you keep the romance alive while remaining safe? Do not worry, we have come up with five dating ideas which you can use for you and your date, admirer, crush, or even your potential partner.
1) Go for a walk!
Spring is here, the weather is nice. Instead of sitting inside, go outside with your date! You can walk through a park in your neighbourhood or in a city centre. For example, in Nijmegen you can walk through the city centre, get a hot drink at Fresca (Babylon just closed a sticker deal with them!) followed by a stroll past the Waal. You can also visit a new city: from Amsterdam to Rotterdam or from Dordrecht to Utrecht; the choice is yours!
2) Go for a picnic!
Go for a picnic at your local park, or even in your backyard! Prepare a basket with food and bring a blanket and a speaker. Enjoy your food under the shining sun with some cheerful music and enjoy your time with each other.
3) Watch a movie outside!
Instead of going to a movie theatre or your average Netflix & Chill session, go watch a movie outside! This can be done in many creative ways. For example, drive your car to a lovely location, decorate the back of your car, bring some snacks and voilà: a romantic movie night. You can also create a drive-in movie setting: get yourself a screen and a projector, grab some snacks, sit in the car and you have your personal drive-in!
4) Game Night
Organise a game night! Get some healthy competition going with your partner. You can play each other’s favourite games from when you were younger. Card games, Monopoly, ‘Mens erger je niet!’; the possibilities are endless! You can also create a Kahoot about yourself for your partner to play – see how well your date knows you and get to know each other in an interactive way! Another possibility is to create a fun scavenger hunt! Hide items and go gather them together.
5) Romantic Dine-In
Choose a recipe from the Internet and go make it together! Choose a space in your home and decorate it like if you were in Paris, the city of love, yourselves. A nice tablecloth, candles, flowers and you are good to go!