11 Feb The Pros and Cons of Online Dating During a Pandemic
These unorthodox times can feel very lonely. Instead of socializing with friends or finding your dream date in person, you’re stuck in your house, watching romance films on Netflix, and finding love through binge-eating.
Apps like Tinder and Bumble are basically the “Justice League” of online dating, giving others a chance to meet and date from a particular distance. Although online dating isn’t taboo, it definitely has its pros and cons.
Take a look at these pros and cons of online dating during these unusual times.
Social Distancing
The obvious pro to online dating during the pandemic is that it follows social distancing. Now, by social distancing, this doesn’t mean you have to just sit at home in your bedroom, kicking your feet in the air with your bae on FaceTime or Zoom. You can improvise!
There are many ways to maintain social distancing even when you’re with your online date in person.
Online Dating Is Convenient
Perhaps your ideal first date doesn’t consist of fancy restaurants, trips to Dairy Queen, or nights under the stars. Regardless, the pandemic has limited access to the outside world. Thanks to the pandemic, online dating is convenient.
Nowadays, bumping into someone new in public poses a health risk and we use social media to maintain everyday interaction during the pandemic.
If you mutually swipe right on someone you’re interested in, you’ll probably get a first impression off of pick-up lines and Instagram photos alone.
Good First Impressions
Of course, our social media personalities may be different from our real lives; we usually tell others what they want to hear to make a good impression.
It’s easy to say that we’re all in a crisis together no matter the location; another pro of online dating is making a good first impression.
This means telling your potential bae your favorite foods, music, or particular pet peeves. This way, if you happen to meet in person, you’ll see how compatible the two of you will be.
Now, we’re on to the cons of online dating during a pandemic.
Again, Social Distancing!
While social distancing can be a benefit to online dating, it can also be detrimental.
The pandemic can be frustrating. Things aren’t normal and we aren’t able to do things we’d do on a normal day. Long distance relationships can be difficult because people love in-person contact.
Kissing, hugging, or cuddling during a pandemic is a health risk, even if you’ve tested negative for Covid-19 and practiced safety measures.
Online dating deprives others of meeting and maintaining consistent physical contact.
Can’t Find An Online Date?
Online dating isn’t for everyone, or maybe it isn’t accessible where you are.
When you’re leaping through boys or girls on dating apps, there may be a lack of candidates where you are. Even if you’ve changed your location from one mile to 100 miles away, no one is in your favor.
Why could this be? Dating app algorithms suck, or maybe you’re just not interested in others you see.
Catfishes
Maybe you’ve avoided watching episodes of MTV’s “Catfish” with Nev Schulman, but catfishing is a thing and it is reality. The pandemic is dangerous for online daters because catfishing can thrive.
If you think you’ve found someone online that you like, make sure you see the signs. Are they consistently making excuses not to video chat with you? Are you fooled by Instagram filters?
Catfish can also be others who aren’t who they say they are. Sure, they may be the same person, but is everything in their Tinder bio true? With the pandemic, it’ll be difficult to tell.
In other words, be careful and be safe.
What are your thoughts on dating during the pandemic? Drop a comment below and let us know!
Be sure to check out our latest article on Sweet Ways to Celebrate Valentine’s Day with Bae at Home!
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