After the Spanish Flu came the Roaring 20’s – what Dating Trends will follow COVID-19?

With so many people working from home, 2020 was not the most social year.  A lot of us got accustomed to dating via zoom meetings, others, craving an opportunity to get out and meet someone new doing patio drinks, or socially distance walks. 

In Canada, there has been caveats and province to province there has been snags.   East of Alberta has mostly been closed to all drink/dining out with second lockdowns in less than a year, but the West Coast was open with protocols and it has affected the way we access meeting other singles.  As a matchmaker for almost 2 decades, it has felt like a weird time because everything has happened, and nothing has happened, but it feels like we are finally moving in the right direction and can see the light at the end of the tunnel. 

This past year, we have seen the dating landscape shift in unexpected ways to all new approaches to relationships and we predict that more changes are coming.  A lot of the daters I speak to have a dating-related resolution for 2021, which include taking things slower and raising the bar when it comes to vetting matches.  Over the past year, most feel the pandemic has given them an abundance of time to focus on themselves, having more confidence to say what is, and is not right for them in their dating life. It has made singles think that having a sound communication and compatibility in a relationship is much more important than just intimacy.  And singles seeking long-term or serious relationships are willing to give multiple chances to the same person that they are dating and that they will stop using dating apps if they get serious.