The 2020 Coronavirus pandemic has infiltrated so many aspects of our everyday lives, forcing us to work or study from home rather than risk congregating in offices or colleges; enforcing social distancing when shopping. The situation has been especially tough for singles, given that the traditional outlets for socializing – bars, nightclubs, settings for hobbies and other leisure pursuits, and so on – have often been closed to the public for months. One area that hasn’t just been unaffected but has seen a steep rise in activity is dating platforms. According to datingcharts.com, virtual romance is booming right now. Here are five tips for dating and relationships during these troubling times.
Don’t rush into dating
One obvious effect of the Coronavirus climate is that it has taken much of the hustle and bustle out of life. Rather than rushing out on our morning commutes, we stroll to our laptops. In our social lives, singles don’t feel the same pressure to jump into their next relationship. Why should they? Flirting online is easy, and the choice of venues for a night out with a new partner has been severely curtailed. This temporary lull is an occasion to relax and take some timeout from otherwise busy schedules.
Do background research
People are now naturally wary of interacting with individuals they don’t know much about. Dating sites allow you to browse through personals and understand how sociable someone is. Do they have indoor or outdoor hobbies? Are they mixing with a lot of different people? This is one of the reasons online dating is so advantageous -you can restrict search parameters to a fine degree. You could check the location of prospective partners, asking the pertinent questions to anyone who happened to come from a COVID hotspot. Have they, or anyone in their social circle, been affected?
Be honest and candid
Singles getting to know each other can be tempted to play mind games in online and offline situations. This can be regarded as part of becoming familiar with someone. In 2020, openness and honearey is the new flirting! Flirting involves a degree of winding up, toying with the other person’s affections, and making cheeky insinuations that might or might not be true. In the present atmosphere, this should be kept to a minimum. It would be far better to lay your cards on the table.
Have realistic expectations
You have to accept the way the social landscape has changed this year will have a knock-on effect on dating. Nobody can expect to approach any new relationship with the same degree of optimism they would have done in 2019. Individuals might be less likely to want to commit in these uncertain times. If you spend a lot of time on social media or interacting with other singles on dating outlets, you should be prepared for less commitment from others. You might be chatting and flirting with someone for a while, only for them to get cold feet. A good tip would be to develop thicker skin. You just might be ghosted more than you’ve been used to.
Be especially cautious about taking anything offline
It seems like a no-brainer, but shifting your relationship status from strictly online to offline get-togethers must be handled with extreme care. Talk about dangerous liaisons! You’ll have to ask some serious questions before a face-to-face encounter. How well do I know this person? Where would the safest venues be for our first date?
