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Just when we thought dating apps couldn’t entwine themselves further into the fabric of modern society, they became our only option.
By Juno Kelly.
Unlike the vast majority of reality TV shows which have a dubious amount of credibility when it comes to reflecting societal dating habits, Love Is Blind seems to have prophesied them. The series’ premise: contestants dating and “falling in love” without being able to physically meet one another, has gone from an absurd social experiment to palpably relatable almost overnight, since lockdown measures were put in place to curb the spread of the Coronavirus. Although most of our homes are far from the velvet upholstered “pods” on the show, we can, and do, “date” from them.
When social isolation measures were initiated, I wasn’t sure whether dating app activity would surge or plummet. Would people be bored and in dire need of one-on-one connection, or would the near impossibility of meeting up in person in the foreseeable deter people from engaging at all? The general consensus seems to side with the former.
Dating app usage has risen substantially since social isolation began. According to a Bumble representative, the popular app saw an 8% increase in Gen Z registrations in the week ending March 27th, whilst Tinder sent out a message declaring that conversations were longer than ever in places heavily affected by COVID-19. The theories for the above are threefold; 1. people have more time on their hands and limited access to other activities, 2. conversations no longer end with “well I’ll see you for drinks on Thursday” and finally, the least cynical option; people are lonely and in search of human connection.
But how much of a genuine human connection can be realized from exchanging (often sordid) messages with hot strangers? (A Buzzfeed piece on the increase in nudes since quarantine recently made the rounds). Not as much as can be achieved via video dates, apparently.
Bumble, which introduced its voice and video calling feature, which allows users to go on virtual dates in-app in June 2019, reported a global 56% increase in usage of the feature after widespread lockdown measures set in. Bumble also implemented a “Virtual Dating” badge that appears on users’ profiles who are open to date via video chat. Bumble will also make a donation to the WHO COVID-19 Solidarity Fund every time someone adds the badge to their profile. In addition, Bumble users can now record and send audio notes to their matches and reply to specific messages within their chats.
Hinge followed suit, as, after 80% of customers expressed an interest in digital dates, the app introduced a “Date from home” element, which notifies matches when you’re ready to speak over the phone/video.
Tinder also introduced a “Passport” feature, allowing users to place a pin anywhere in the world and start swiping there. Said feature will potentially allow people to search for love where they live, even if they’re stuck elsewhere in the world due to COVID-19 related travel restrictions, whilst Bumble extended its radius so people can match with anyone in the same country as them.
A new dating lexicon has also emerged. The standard, “Hi” or “How are you?” has been supplanted with variants of “how’re you holding up” or “how’re you coping in quarantine?” Whilst on Bumble, “what are you doing to keep busy” is now an option on the apps’ suggested questions feature, alongside “when social distancing is over, who are you making plans with first?” According to their latest press release, more than 100,000 Bumble users have updated their dating profiles to mention quarantine.
Covert dating apps are not the only applications facilitating romantic connections during social isolation; for many, Instagram DMs are bustling, whilst video chat app House Party – which went through a period of stagnation after being launched in early 2016 – has made a comeback. New romantic connections are being met through mass-chats, whilst exes are getting back in touch through the guise of a casual app used to offset boredom during quarantine.
Only time will tell whether or not “isodating” will give rise to lasting relationships. But for now, if it’s even marginally warding off loneliness and keeping us from neglecting lockdown rules, the benefits outweigh the risk. It’s just a shame it won’t culminate in an all-expenses-paid Mexican honeymoon.
Homepage photo credit: @retrochills
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