Vaxxed and waxxed and ready to party? You’re not alone. #hotgirlsummer garnered thousands of posts daily, vaccination rates are increasing, and various cities have been opening back up — the collective is ready to get out of the house.
For all the ups and downs of the pandemic, dating was a little wild: Walking dates in the middle of a Northeast winter storm, video calls making dinner, and jumping straight into a situationship with ‘quarantine buddies’ all became a part of the new dating norm. Now that life is going back to “normal”, what are some things we should keep, and what should live in the past along with the dumpster fire that was the pandemic?
What pandemic dating trends will we swipe right or left on?
Dating when it’s dangerous to meet in person allows for so many safer initial introductions to dating. Yet isolation and loneliness can drive people to make questionable decisions for the sake of their mental health and desire for connection. Here are some popular pandemic trends and our verdict on whether we think they should stay or go:
1. Phone calls
This may feel so 90s, but those of us who had the privilege of growing up then remember how many hours we spent on the phone simply talking with someone we really liked. The pandemic allowed us Millennials and Gen Z folks to say goodbye to our phone anxiety and embrace the beauty that is connecting through hearing the voice of someone we want to meet. There are so many other benefits to talking on the phone: Are you in your pizza stained sweatpants and haven’t yet found your favorite top after months of not needing to wear it? No sweat, because on a phone call there’s no visual component.
Though phone calls are a great tool to connect with someone you already like, they’re also a valuable first step in getting to know each other. Not vibing after a chat? This is a low-stakes way to get to know someone that allows you to easily part ways without feeling too invested too early.
The verdict? Swipe right.
2. Casual outdoors dates
Is there anything more romantic than going for a quick walk, stroll, or roll in a beautiful (and well populated) park? With it being unsafe to gather inside, daters looking for their next connection spent a lot of time thinking about safe outdoor dates. This is great when the weather is good and the area is a safe public space, but we’ve heard stories of people going on dates in relatively unpopulated areas or when the weather was so bad that they nearly got frostbite — skip those dates for sure.
The verdict? Swipe right on weather- and timing-appropriate casual outdoor dates… Otherwise, swipe left!
3. Video calls
This is like #1, but the younger sibling with more bells and whistles. Though you will need to think about how you look, you won’t have to worry about so many other stressful items about your first in-person date, such as where to go, how to get there, the cost of food/drinks/entertainment, and everything else that accompanies in-person meet ups. You get the value of getting to know each other more personally without the high-stakes costs associated with meeting up in person.
The verdict? Swipe right.
4. Quarantine Buddies
When stuck indoors, it’s enticing to either bring someone else into your space or for you to go into theirs. Though a new relationship can be exciting and you are ready to spend time together, this is a huge step in a relationship. Without being on the same page, this could be a dangerous step to haphazardly take. Sometimes you get lucky, but that is usually the exception and not the rule.
The verdict? Swipe left.
5. Coffee Dates
Since dining indoors wasn’t allowed and contact had to be limited, many opted for more casual coffee (or tea!) dates to keep things quick and casual. There are so many pros to these types of dates: They are low stakes, you can hear each other, and, ideally, you get to check out cool new spots without breaking the bank.
The verdict? Swipe right.
6. First Dates at Your/Their Place
When loneliness strikes and nowhere is open, this can be an enticing option. However, even if someone seems incredible and not like a serial killer via messaging, you don’t really know the person and spending time with them in an isolated space can be dangerous and a risk not worth taking. With so many options open for meeting in person that are safe, this type of dating can stay as a momentary lapse in judgement that we don’t need to speak about.
The verdict? Swipe left.
With so many new and exciting ways to date, and many of them a resurrection of dating trends from the past, which dating trends from the pandemic will you keep up with?
Laura Ciccone ( Twitter, LinkedIn), co-founder and COO of Blink, has always had a passion for bringing people together, both professionally and personally. She fully believes life is too short to spend it being miserable, and hopes that through her writing and work that readers will feel inspired to try something new.
Originally published at https://www.theblinkdate.com on September 10, 2021.