- It is obvious that the Covid-19 pandemic has changed many aspects of everyday life. In addition to the fact that people began to take their health more seriously than before, another big change happened that led to the name “loneliness pandemic”. Quarantine restrictions and mass isolation have simply made millions of people feel, or even be, confined within 4 walls. Face-to-face communication was reduced to a minimum and it was impossible for us to meet new people outside the Internet.
- Fortunately we now have effective vaccines and we continue to develop immunity to this virus. This immunity doesn’t work when it comes to loneliness though, a metaphorical virus perhaps even more dangerous than the real one.
- Below we will not talk specifically about loneliness and its consequences but rather about how Covid-19 has changed the entire online dating industry. Let’s talk about the increased popularity that dating sites and apps have enjoyed in the past couple of years, as well as the interesting options on dating platforms that have emerged in large part due to the global situation caused by Covid-19.
Online dating — the big trend of the isolation period
It is normal that the lack of possibility to communicate in the real world has forced everyone to communicate online. Already in 2020, an increase of at least 20%-30% in the number of users on dating platforms was specified.
Below we will tell you what these platforms are and why they have attracted so many new users during the pandemic.
Social networks
Instagram — one of the most popular social networks that found itself in a somewhat ambiguous situation. On the one hand, users continued to use the platform, if only out of boredom, but on the other hand, posts were reduced due to lack of content due to mass isolation. As a result, there was no increase in popularity on this platform.
Facebook — the largest social network that has suffered a considerable drop in audience in recent years. The remaining users are not very active either. Even Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, who now owns the conglomerate Meta, said on Joe Rogan’s podcast that he was bored of running Facebook and wanted to pay more attention to the metaverse.
TikTok — a true phenomenon among social networks that enjoyed rapid growth in audience even before the pandemic. In 2019-2020, interest in TikTok grew at the speed of light. Short clips proved to be the perfect format for solitude and other platforms soon copied it: Instagram (Reels), YouTube (Shorts), etc.
YouTube — a video hosting platform that was already popular before the pandemic, but during the strict quarantine, the number of views increased significantly by 10%-25%, which is huge for a platform of this size. YouTube, however, suffered like Instagram from a lack of new content, especially for travel vloggers who were unable to continue their work.
Dating and communication apps
Tinder — one of the most famous dating services in the world that has enjoyed an increase of up to 60%-70% of active users during the pandemic, according to the producers. At the same time, there was also a wave of users who completely abandoned online dating during the quarantine because the possibility of having successful meetings was too uncertain. Now the situation is back to normal and Tinder also has an emblem that shows whether or not users have been vaccinated against Covid-19.
Bumble — a dating app where women initiate the conversations. This platform became much more popular during the pandemic, especially among female users who wanted to meet someone in a safe and comfortable atmosphere without any pressure from pushy men.
Video chats
Omegle — a free anonymous video chat that tripled its audience during the pandemic. If before it enjoyed about ten thousand users connected at the same time, at the beginning of 2020 their number reached thirty thousand. The fact that the makers of Omegle haven’t improved or updated the platform at all has made many users look for the video chat format on other alternative platforms.
OmeTV — a simple Omegle alternative with a basic search filter by gender. But it doesn’t work as well as on OmegleTV because users don’t have to verify their data so they can easily fool the algorithm. OmeTV is still more interesting and works better than Omegle, where you don’t have any kind of search filter by gender. OmeTV also has an option to translate text messages.
Tinychat — a video broadcasting (streaming) platform that has enjoyed substantial growth during the pandemic. Even if it is not specifically created for dating, the platform provides you with interesting live broadcasts or even the option to make your own broadcasts.
Azar — a combination of dating app, anonymous video chat and messenger, i.e. a good option for those who want 3 in 1 but not quite as suitable for those who feel overwhelmed by so many communication formats. During the pandemic, the manufacturers improved the service considerably and continue to do so now, so it’s worth keeping up with the progress of this platform.
What will happen to online dating after the pandemic ends?
The question is, will the Covid-19 pandemic ever really end? Many scientists are of the opinion that we will not be able to eradicate the Covid-19 virus. It gradually reproduces and forms new strains that do not respond as effectively to current vaccines. This means that over time, the virus will become more and more contagious but also less dangerous. That’s why it’s possible that the Covid-19 virus is as widespread and somewhat normal as the flu. Even if it puts our health at risk, it probably won’t be as dangerous as it was in 2019-2020.
Perhaps the interest in online dating will start to wane when we come to live with the coronavirus, although in the last two years the world has become so used to online dating that this format will be part of our lives from now on. After all, it’s easier and safer to meet someone online than to try to strike up a conversation with a stranger in the real world.
