h2>Dating : The evolution of dating apps in the age of social distancing
As if dating wasn’t hard enough! With the ongoing pandemic, many individuals have found it difficult to connect with that special someone. Over the past few years online dating has gained full speed due to the difficulties surrounding meeting others as a result of work and life busyness. The market for online dating sites has risen as a result of the demand for new and innovative methods creators have found to make meeting people more and more interesting.
With the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic the worry of meeting a potential mate and risking the transmission of a deadly respiratory virus had many bring in-person dates to a halt. However, dating sites quickly put their thinking caps on and developed some alternative methods of linking their members for dates in this new age of social distancing. Peep the top dating sites of 2020 and beyond as we gradually make strides to end this pandemic!
Love is Quarantine
A new project that aims to turn social distancing into a dating game, taking a cue from “Love is Blind”.
Price: Free
Website: https://www.instagram.com/loveisquarantine/?hl=en
How it works: Users sign up via Instagram to enter their “pods,” which are really just Google spreadsheets. The sessions are one night only affairs. Many of those who successfully match plan to wait to meet up in person until everyone can safely venture back outdoors.
OKCupid
U.S.-based, internationally operating online dating, friendship, and formerly also a social networking website and application.
Price: Free; Premium $4.95-$9.95
Website: https://www.okcupid.com/
How it works: All you need to do is set up a bio, fill out a few questions about your lifestyle and dating habits so the algorithm can find you a few compatible matches — set your parameters, then start chatting. The site now offers the option to try out virtual dates.
The League
A selective and high-quality dating and social networking community.
Price: $29/month
Website: https://www.theleague.com/membership/
How it works: Users can connect via their LinkedIn or Facebook profiles and select their preferences. Each user is assigned a representative who can answer app-related questions. User’s swipe right to indicate interest in a potential match, or swipe left to pass. The League shows users only five potential matches per day. In the age of social distancing the app introduced League Live which allows users to go on 3 video chat dates in 9 minutes with users in their area that match set preferences — talk about a new spin on speed dating!
Hinge
Dating app that bills itself as a “relationship app” and claims to emphasize more long term connections between users.
Price: Free; Premium $19.99 — $59.99
Website: https://hinge.co/
How it works: Hinge matches users based on their answers to the questions upon sign-up. Users need to like a specific section of another member’s profile in order to send the like. The sites newest feature entitled “Date from Home” works by asking chatting users if they’re reading for a digital date.
