Dating In The New Normal 6th

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The COVID-19 outbreak is affecting everyone's romantic relationships, whether you're in the dating game, a newbie, or taken for a long time. When the lockdown measures were implemented, dating app firms quickly responded. They tried to influence how people date by educating about health, addressing loneliness and isolation, and making virtual dating the new normal. Several apps have developed or unlocked features to make virtual dating easier. Encompassing more than just meeting through apps, it also included a variety of online activities and exchanges that people may engage in while physically separated. Some advocated for causes like self-care. Let’s talk about dating and relationships in this pandemic.

Obviously, "Dating" refers to going on dates. It's a more generic social term where you go out to meet new people and spend time with them. “Dating someone”, on the other hand, much more refers to romantic time spent with a specific person with the intention of having time with each other exclusively and at regular intervals, in the hopes of developing a more established relationship. 

Finding love in the digital age was made easy by dating apps that were created to help people connect online and later meet in person. However, most people's dating practices have been challenged and changed as a result of the pandemic. Meet-ups and intimate events like dinner and a movie, a few drinks in a bar or club were quickly replaced with social distancing, mask-wearing, and the possibility of getting a deadly disease.

Still, the number of dating app users and the amount of time spent on dating apps increased in 2020. According to the latest Adjust data, global dating app installs grew by 13% in the first half of 2021 compared to 2020. This indicates that there is still a lot of interest in dating apps among users (following the pandemic surge). Tinder is one of the most popular and well-known dating apps, with a large user base.

There was a big sense of loss, loneliness, and an inability to connect and establish shared experiences with other young like-minded people early into the pandemic, and even up to this day. The pandemic eliminated both spontaneous and chance meetings. Getting people to switch to video calls was challenging at first. However, they felt better after being more open with the concept of virtual dating.

A clinical psychologist, Sonali Gupta, explained that building a personal connection and trust takes time, so one must be ready to face rejections. Whether you meet someone virtually or in person, rejection is a part of the dating process. So, learning to date with kindness, compassion, and healthy communication, where you choose to let the other person know when you don't want to interact any longer or stop, is critical to creating an environment where everyone feels appreciated. Sure it is painful, but it does not have to keep you from living your life.

Some couples became closer together and came to know one another better. As they work from home, they notice the professional side of each other that they have never seen before. Some were also tested by the pandemic. Very Well Mind’s survey showed that 27% of people's relationships haven't changed and improved during the pandemic, while the same percentage of respondents reported that it has made their relationship worse. They found that 20% of people living with their partners faced mental health concerns. Others have dealt with financial stress, family problems, and other challenges leading to increased anxiety.

Dating could be fun and it's fine if you're happy being single, it's also fine if you want to pursue a committed relationship. However, most of the time, we don't always think things through before being romantically committed, particularly when we're young. We simply allow our emotions and hormones to take over and then go from there. A forever relationship is life-changing and one must be prepared to be in one for the rest of one's life.