ByOlivia Sarkar

December 05, 2021 (IANSlife)  If the year 2020 appeared bleak for the world, the year 2021 served as a frightening reminder that it wasn't so much about the year as it was about the times we've come to live in. Every domain and industry has experienced seismic shifts, both for the better and for the bad. However, just a few fields have seen such a huge paradigm shift as online dating throughout the course of 2021.

It becomes critical to document and analyse the important observations in the year 2021's dating trends in order to determine where online dating stands and where it is headed. This is where a poll conducted by one of India's  popular dating apps, QuackQuack, comes in handy.

"The pandemic has undoubtedly thrown a few curveballs towards folks wanting to date," remarked Mr. Ravi Mittal, Founder & CEO of QuackQuack, in response to the survey report. Males and females, in my opinion, are fast coming to terms with a new universe of online dating every day, adopting more self-paced and healthier forms of dating, a growing process that will soon become the standard."

The key takeaways from the survey can be best summarized as below:

·       Vaccination is a must

An overwhelming 8 out of 10 persons in the survey's sample size expressed support for mandatory vaccination as a prerequisite to a date. A considerable 65 percent and 75 percent of people in the 18-20 and 21-30 age categories, respectively, agreed on the same thing. The need of a double jab was consistently emphasised across the country's top cities and tier 2 cities, with 75 percent and 70 percent of the sample size in each believing that the first step toward a safe date would have to be complete immunisation of the other.

·       Dating with a purpose

The poll revealed that, because of the COVID procedures in place, people have had little motivation to walk outside, leading them to think on the nature of the dates they've discovered on the dating app rather than searching for matches in a desperate manner. The survey found that 47 percent of women and 35 percent of men agreed with this behavioural change, and that the act of reflection and introspection allowed them to have healthier relationships than before.

The difference in deliberate dating trends between people who live in cities and those who live in rural or semi-urban settings was quite similar. While roughly 37 percent of urban teenagers believed their dating experience had taken an intentional turn, 39 percent of rural or semi-urban teenagers felt the same way.
 

·       Location is pivotal

According to the survey, a whopping 58 percent and 56 percent of people between the ages of 18 and 20 and 21 and 30 preferred hooking up with someone from a different place to broaden their search for a potential spouse. This trend proved to be more prevalent among women, as 58 percent of them were comfortable dating partners from foreign countries, compared to only 50 percent of men. Further study into a demographic analysis of the sampled data found that 46 percent of those living in major metro cities preferred dating outside of their home location, while 57 percent of those living in smaller cities and towns favoured the same.

• Video calling versus meeting in person

Due to the ongoing Covid problem across the country, a large majority of 56 percent of 18 to 20-year-olds preferred having their first date on a virtual medium and were risk-averse, according to the survey. On the other hand, 43 percent of persons aged 30 and up, who adhere to a more traditional approach, decided to meet in person while taking all essential safety steps.
 

According to the survey, a vast majority of 56 percent of 18 to 20-year-olds preferred having their first date on a virtual medium and were risk-averse due to the ongoing Covid crisis across the country. In contrast, 43 percent of people aged 30 and up who prefer a more traditional approach preferred to meet in person while following all necessary safety precautions.

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