After years of being in the mainstream, the pandemic made online dating BIGGER than ever before, with a reported 83% of singles turning to apps and websites. But now that restrictions are being lifted, will people continue to use apps to meet and hook up? The answer is YES.

Via The Drum

While video chatting, voice calls, audio memos and other manifestations of virtual communication gained traction out of necessity over the last year and a half, there’s a growing body of evidence to suggest that these trends are becoming keystones of contemporary dating culture.

Data… reveals that 65% of the platform’s users who have been on a video date say they are likely to continue incorporating video chat into their dating process, even post-pandemic. Not only is a quick video chat convenient; it may also introduce a welcome layer of safety, as daters can connect through the app without revealing their personal contact information.

“We predict that the behaviors we’ve developed during the pandemic won’t disappear overnight, and many people won’t want to let go of some of the new dating norms we’ve developed throughout Covid-19,” says a [dating site] spokesperson. Recent data indicates that a quarter of users say that video dates have become a normal part of their dating process.