With the 21-day nationwide lockdown and the healthy practice of social distancing, there has been a distance between you and your loved ones for the past many days. 

As the number of COVID-19 cases keeps increasing, the fear that the lockdown might be extended looms large over our heads. And like everything else, dating is also affected by this lockdown. Both for those who are single and those in a relationship. 

Young couples who don’t live together are finding this enforced and sudden long-distance relationship difficult and the singles are finding it difficult to meet new people. All of a sudden it seems like dating might go extinct, at least for the time being. 

So, should we press pause on dating? Hell no! When entertainment, sports, and even education is going digital, then why shouldn’t our ideas of dating? Online or video dating is going to be a go-to-thing in the time of quarantine. 

For the couples

For all the couples out there who are living their worst dream of long-distance, it can be a great time to see how invested you are in your relationship. From virtual museum tours to Netflix party or even virtual date nights, there are a million things out there you can do within the comfort and security of our own house.  

For the singles 

It is a virtual party for all the singles out there. More and more dating sites are changing their interface to make it more appealing to singles.

Tinder, for example, has launched an in-app card that encourages dating while following social distancing and has issued something called Tinder Passport, a unique feature that allows you to match with anyone in any part of the world. Sounds exotic, right? 

OKCupid’s marketing chief Melissa Hobley was quoted by Times Of India as saying, “In many US cities, coronavirus has become one of the top icebreakers in messages to matches.” 

The article also quotes Ritika Jha 19-year-old girl from Patna as recounting an incident, “So, this guy who wanted to ask me out, said, ‘Let’s isolate ourselves together from this world’, and I thought it was quite smart.” *Ritika if I were you, I would say yes instantly* 

Something for the married as well 

As married couples are being asked to stay at home, extra-marital affairs are sky-rocketing all thanks to extra-marital dating apps. One such app, Gleeden has seen 2.5 times longer chat threads during this time as compared to the pre-lockdown era. In Italy, France, and Spain, the subscription to online extra-marital dating apps has increased. 

We as humans are immensely prone to have an inert drive for companionship and love. COVID-19 or any other disease cannot cut this innate desire for people to bond. As more and more couples are opting for online dating, it is proof that nothing can stop love!