Dating Apps Predict The “Summer of Love” with Survey Statistics

With the pandemic not fully in our rearview mirror, dating continues to ebb and flow in ways that for some are freeing and for others maddening. There’s no question that the past year-plus has forced many singles to not only reconsider how they meet other people but also what they want to do when they do meet them.

For many of you reading this, the pandemic was a time of reflection. A time to consider what is most important to you and how you want to go about living the rest of your life. So I ask you, if finding true love wasn’t much of a priority for you before the pandemic how important is it to you now? And if it always has been a priority, has the way you plan to attack achieving it changed?

No matter what your answer, whether you are changing the way you date or not, I can tell you that the dating world is changing for you.

Before this pandemic upending all of our lives, the number one way committed couples met was organic. Meaning they may have met through friends or family, at school, work, or a coffee shop. Yes, digital dating was always on the rise, but now if you are not adding dating sites and apps to your dating life, you are limiting your dating pool, which can greatly affect when and how your meet fellow singles.

Smart dating is about putting yourself out there and making sure that you employ as many safe and fun ways to meet people as possible.

Google tweeted recently that search interest in dating has reached a 5-year high in the U.S. The top dating apps are up a whopping 3400%.

According to the dating app OkCupid 84% of its users are looking for a stable partner post-pandemic – and 27% of those reported that they came to this conclusion because of the pandemic itself.

And according to Match.com, the largest and arguably the most successful dating site we are in right now is the “Summer of Love.” A time when singles are as ready and excited about the prospect of finding love as they have ever been. In their recent Summer of Love Survey, the numbers speak for themselves.

Single and Ready to Mingle

• 70% are ready to put themselves out there as much as possible this coming summer
• 69% feel more confident in who they are looking for after the past year
• 40% feel more excited about the idea of meeting new people through dating
• 52% are worried potential matches won’t be looking for a serious relationship over the next few months

Summer of Lovers?

• 71% want to be in a serious relationship this summer, while only 7% don’t
• 65% are not interested in hookups or casual sex; while 35% said they are open to it
• Either way, 57% of singles confirmed they want to have sex this summer

Of course, all this excitement does come with a hearty dose of reality in that despite the optimism you just can’t ignore the fact that there’s a virus out there and not everyone views the danger level the same way.

Vaccinated? That is the question

• 46% agreed that once vaccinated, they will be ready to start dating IRL again
• 56% of people are somewhat or very concerned with a date’s vaccination status

No matter how you view dating in a pandemic, there’s no question it has created many new ways to not only meet other singles but also date them.

For example, the quick video chat before meeting someone is not only is quick and convenient; it also presents a welcome layer of safety by allowing you to make sure that the person on the other end of the chat is who they say they are and, if so, have enough of a connection to meet.

Then, there are all these great virtual first dates too. Even if you meet someone organically out in the world, there is nothing wrong with getting to know someone from the comfort of your own home. Searches for Virtual First Dates are up 450%, finding results like virtual cooking dates, museum tours, Airbnb experiences, and or interactive games.

As the online dating game continues to gain traction more and more people will be looking for ways to connect with others in ways that are fun and entertaining. As a dating coach, I completely love this idea of entering a safe space with other like-minded singles all looking to have a good time without any of the pressure that can come from a traditional single’s mixer.

Now, I understand that digital dating may not be for everyone and that some of you want and crave that face-to-face interaction. That is all great and good, but I still want to instill in you that in this summer of love, you still do your best to step out of your comfort zone. That you take all that positivity and all those aspirations to make a deep meaningful connection with someone and you put it to good use. Take advantage of all the changes that happen around you and try something new.

My homework for you is to jump on the Google search engine bandwagon and start typing dating keywords or questions. Type in words or questions that interest you whether they be about people or places or activities or events. Anything that might spark some interest in you gets you to take the next step in either meet and/or connect better with someone.

The Summer Of Love is a bold new world for you and many others like you. Your job is to make sure that you have taken advantage of all that is around you so that when next summer comes around, it won’t be your “Summer of Love”, it will be your “Summer of In Love.”