It cannot be denied that two years of pandemic, lockdown and health restrictions of all kinds have had a huge impact on the dating industry. There was a time when the entire online dating industry, with revenues exceeding $6 billion, found itself in serious trouble as users stopped actively making acquaintances online, fearing meeting new people in real life. Fortunately, the situation quickly returned, and today it is even better than before.
Interestingly, during the pandemic a lot of people started giving more importance to their time. No one wants to go to the trouble of going on dates where there’s no hope, spending their evenings writing useless and monotonous messages, or endlessly tapping into applications that ultimately lead to nothing. And this is a paradox, because many people had plenty of free time during the various imprisonments.
We decided to study some of the current trends in online dating. We are also going to tell you what you can do in the present context to save time while looking for life partner.
According to the popular app Bumble, more than half of internet users currently have a positive view of online dating as a phenomenon. Their numbers were very small before the pandemic. This change in trend has both positive and negative consequences.
- Positive point – more people interested in dating. The viewership of many services has indeed increased significantly, and this is across different age groups – from young people to older people. And this is definitely a big advantage.
- Negative points—more difficult searching and more difficulty in choosing the perfect pair. This negative point is a direct result of the positive bridge. The more people on the site, the harder it will be to choose the one you really like the most. So the choice is huge, but you really have to spend more time looking for interesting potential partners.
The solution to this glut problem is to use niche dating sites.
Public interest in niche online dating platforms has skyrocketed over the years. Yes, there viewership is much less as compared to traditional Tinder or Badoo. But it is very easy to find people with similar interests. For example, Tindog – a dating app for dog owners, or Vegetarian Dating – a dating site for vegetarians.
There are actually many examples. It is these platforms that save a lot of time and only communicate with the people who are best suited for you. Try !
The goals of users of dating sites and apps become clearer and more understandable
Before the pandemic, many dating platform users didn’t really understand what they needed. Some joined simply out of interest, others simply wanted to find new friends, and still others were looking for a partner exclusively for sex. It was always very upsetting, because when you started communicating with someone new, you couldn’t see what they themselves expected from your meeting. And she didn’t understand what you expected. Result: a waste of time and a completely different purpose.
During the pandemic, the situation began to change. More and more online dating sites offer users to immediately indicate their own goals: friendship, relationships, sex, simple communication, etc. In addition, they can indicate what they expect from others. This is a huge time saver for everyone and helps in finding common ground more quickly. The trend even has a name of its own: hard-bowling.
Many experts have already spoken about this trend. For example, bioengineering scientist and human relations expert Logan Urie, speaking to the BBC, said the following: “Since people used to spend a lot more time alone, they now meet in a more focused way. , He said that contemporaries have become more honest with themselves as well as others. They are more willing to talk openly about their goals and preferences, appreciate openness more, and become more open themselves. This is a positive trend for society as a whole, not just the online dating industry. The time savings are obvious!
Random video chats are suddenly super popular again
In a sense, this point is a continuation of the previous one. In video chats like Omegle and its counterparts, users’ goals are clear. This is, first of all, the desire to communicate with interesting people, to talk about current topics, and possibly to bring this knowledge to a higher level in the future.
Omegle video chat and its analogues have a very significant advantage over regular dating sites and apps. This is quite a time saver. Here you don’t have to check dozens of profiles like, swiping, endlessly exchanging text messages. Simply go to the video chat page, and the system immediately selects a contact person for you.
Of course, Omegle video chat cannot be called ideal. It has many shortcomings and technical problems, which even after years of existence are not fully resolved. Fortunately, there are many alternatives to Omegle: OmeTV, Chatrandom, CooMeet, Bazoocam and many more.
Their benefits over Omegle include:
- Gender Filter and Geographic Filter in most of them;
- Availability of mobile application for more comfortable communication;
- more thorough search by areas of interest;
- A modern design and a pleasant interface.
If for some reason you haven’t used random video chat yet, and have preferred dating sites and apps, we recommend visiting the Omegle site. You will be pleasantly surprised by this format. And it will save you a lot of time!
Are all these trends only positive? Not necessary!
We found a very negative trend in terms of significant trends in the dating industry. This trend has been called “benching”. To describe it as briefly as possible, its essence is as follows: People seek new acquaintances from the point of view of a romantic relationship, currently in a relationship.
One reason for the benching trend is that many couples, after being confined between four walls for a long time, suddenly realize that they are not made for each other. But they do not want to immediately break their relationship, preferring to first look for an alternative, try to find a potential couple on the Web, get to know each other, communicate, etc.
This is a serious problem, as such a “suspended” relationship can last for months and sometimes even years. Everyone suffers from this, wasting precious time in uncertainty and trying to figure out what the other person really wants.
Hopefully, “benching” will soon be a trend of the past, otherwise it will continue to wreak havoc on the dating industry and spoil the experience of ordinary users.
And finally: 7 Simple Tips to Save Time on Dating Services
- Fill out your profile as detailed as possible and add recent photos. This will help other people get a better idea of you.
- Don’t make text correspondence the basis of your communication. Try to switch to video calls or at least phone calls as soon as possible.
- Never give false hope to anyone if you think your relationship will not work 100%. By doing this you are only wasting his and your time.
- Be more graded. Make a list of the character traits and interests that your chosen one/beloved should have. It will also save you time in future.
- Don’t drag out the live meeting. The longer you delay, the less likely this meeting will happen. Today the restrictions are not as strict as before, you can go to restaurants, cafes or cinemas together.
- Remember the 3 to 5 message rule. As a rule, this number of messages is enough to understand whether the person is suitable for you or not. If your correspondence is too boring, awkward or obnoxious, don’t waste your time. Nothing good will come of it.
- Remember to be careful. The Internet remains a dangerous place where one finds scammers and blackmailers and many other suspicious personalities. Therefore, do not neglect the basic rules of secure online communication.
And finally: try all kinds of dating sites. The more services you use, the higher your chances of success. We wish you the best of luck in your research and promising encounters on the Internet!