Love in the Time of Corona: Massive Spikes in Matching, Messaging and Virtual Dates Around the…

Love in the Time of Corona: Massive Spikes in Matching, Messaging and Virtual Dates Around the World

OkCupid data reveals how singles are turning to online dating

The coronavirus pandemic has affected just about every aspect of our lives, and dating is no exception. Around the world, 2.6 billion people are under stringent stay-at-home orders, and quarantined singles are looking to meet new people, socialize, laugh, and love — all from the safety of their own homes.

Despite this uncertain time, singles are craving connection now more than ever, and they’re finding it by matching with other singles seeking the same thing. In fact, there was a staggering 900% increase in mentions of “coronavirus” and “social distancing” on OkCupid profiles between February and March. That got us thinking — in what other ways could coronavirus impact dating? Over the past two weeks, we’ve been analyzing the activity of OkCupid’s tens of millions of daters to discover how they’re adjusting their dating lives in the wake of COVID-19.

Short answer: single people are still dating, and because everybody is stuck at home with a quieter social schedule, they have more time to fire up a conversation with someone new. There are fewer distractions, so matches can really get to know each other. And when the time finally comes to meet offline, their connection may be that much deeper and stronger because of it.

OkCupid user engagement increases drastically as shutdowns intensify

In the past few weeks, OkCupid engagement has exploded. All over the world, matches on OkCupid have increased 10% — and conversations have increased over 20%! — as singles turn to online dating for connection.

It’s no wonder, really. Even though singles are staying at home, our data show they still want to meet new people. Our in-app questions on dating in the time of coronavirus have garnered nearly half a million responses. In response to the new question “How do you plan on dating during this time of coronavirus?” a whopping 94% of respondents said they’ll continue to date, albeit virtually. It’s a good thing you never have to leave the comfort of your couch in order to use OkCupid.

It makes total sense that when a shutdown goes into effect, in the days that follow, there’s a spike in matches and conversations between OkCupid users in that area.

This trend continued across the US as states mandated stay-at-home orders.

Globally, there’s been a 30% overall increase in messages sent on OkCupid each day since March 11. Women in particular are sending more messages, sending 40% more intro messages than they did previously! We recommend you take their lead — what are you waiting for? But if you’re thinking about opening with a coronavirus line, maybe rethink it — our data show those messages are 5% less likely to get a reply, and the ones that do have the conversations fizzle out faster.

Women in particular have also been more likely to expand their preferred location to “anywhere” so they can connect across borders. And those who do have 5% more conversations than those who don’t.

However you look at it, singles want to be talking to someone, even though meeting in real life isn’t an option right now. Few people are abandoning their dating lives; “dating” just takes on a new form.

There’s a virtual date for everyone

Don’t be shy about asking someone out even though you’re not physically going out. Not only did OkCupid discover that the majority of users are still dating, but our data also shows the most popular forms of virtual dates:

• 51% prefer messaging and texting
• 26% like video-chatting
• 17% are relying on good, old-fashioned phone calls
• 6% are waiting to date till the pandemic is over

Even more interesting is what a single’s answer to the above question on how they’re dating says about them.

Daters are also getting creative with how they want to go on virtual dates. When asked what their ideal virtual date is, over 75,000 OkCupid respondents revealed their optimal quarantined dates:

• 31% prefer to do some shared activity, like a game
• 29% want to have dinner or drinks
• 25% prefer to keep it simple with a video chat
• 15% want to watch a movie or TV show together

And, for those who want to keep things spicy, 51% of respondents said they enjoy phone sex. Whatever you’re into, chances are someone else might be feeling it, too.

Switching to virtual dating improves confidence and increases the desire for long-term relationships

In just the past two weeks, there’s been a 5% increase in OkCupid users looking for long-term relationships and a 20% decrease in users looking for hookups. As an extra bonus, people who may normally feel less confident about dating are finding their voice. When asked “what’s the best part of virtual dating” most respondents replied that “it’s less pressure,” followed closely behind by “I can get to know the other person better” — two factors that certainly make dating more enjoyable.

Virtual dating is ushering in a new era of “slow dating” that’s been welcomed by singles. Eight-five percent of the 70,000 daters on OkCupid who answered say it’s important to develop an emotional connection before a physical one, so the switch to virtual dates has allowed these emotional connections to thrive.

With virtual dating, the focus lands on the quality of conversations and time spent together, making it easier to figure out whether the person you’re talking to is compatible with whatever you’re looking for. There are more than enough things to be stressing about right now, and our data reveal that dating, fortunately, does not need to be one of them.

Love in the Time of Corona: Massive Spikes in Matching, Messaging and Virtual Dates Around the… was originally published in The OkCupid Blog on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

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