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4 THINGS TO EXPECT FROM DATING IN 2021

Well 2020, it’s been real but it’s time to say a whole-hearted goodbye! I know this year has been tough, there have been a few bright spots here and there, but they’ve been few and far between. One area of life that definitely took a hit was dating. From things moving to the virtual world of video calls, to Covid themed pick-up lines and social distanced dates, it’s been a whirlwind. We started asking ourselves if things were serious enough to have the person you’re dating in your social bubble, everyone was trying to find the spot in their homes with the best lighting and wi-fi. Yup, this year definitely challenged us, but were there any helpful takeaways for the New Year? Here are 4 things to expect from dating in 2021…

• Video calls will still be a popular first date option

While a lot of people have definitely struggled with video dates and the lack of flirty, physical contact (as well as general connectivity issues) there are a whole lot who actually saw the benefits. They found it a good way of seeing if there’s chemistry and chat, without having to go on a potentially wasted journey to meet up. A lot of people also felt it was a safer way to have initial contact, as well as it saving money. So, expect more video dating in 2021.

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Then there are the people that realised that distance

isn’t the be all and end of all of a relationship

and that a strong connection can span over continents.

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• More people using dating apps

While it’s true that a lot of people moved in, got into relationships, married or engaged this year, there were also a lot of relationships (and everything in between) that reached their breaking point. That coupled (see what I did there?!) with the amount of people that are (and will) find that they rushed into commitments they weren’t ready for due to the stress of this year, means that a lot of people will be joining apps for the first time or returning to online dating in 2021. If you’re looking for a dating app to try, check out CLiKD and their unique dealbreakers.

• A lot more people being open to long distance dating

A lot of people this year found that their relationships became long distance, whether they wanted it or not. Then there are the people that realised that distance isn’t the be all and end of all of a relationship and that a strong connection can span over continents. With all of us being in lockdown at various parts of this year, we were able to see that if you really want to connect with someone, you don’t have to be in the same room all the time, let alone the same time zone. So, they’ll definitely be more of that thinking in the New Year.

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One of the bright spots I mentioned earlier was

definitely people using their voices to come together

and speak out about global injustices, regardless of if

it affected them directly or not.

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• More people discussing their political views and causes they support earlier on

One of the bright spots I mentioned earlier was definitely people using their voices to come together and speak out about global injustices, regardless of if it affected them directly or not. This year saw Black Lives Matter become more of an open discussion amongst everyone and people began to speak out more on issues they saw in their communities. Whether that’s calling the government out on how they treat healthcare workers (who went above and beyond this year) to fighting for LGBTQ+ rights, people showed up for current events. This also became the case with dating and I expect that to continue in 2021 onwards. People made their stances clear on their profiles, to the topics they discussed after initially matching. Some even took their bond to the streets to protest together. Finding out people’s views and causes early on will definitely become the new normal and we’re here for it!

So, there you have it! 4 things to expect from dating in 2021. There’s definitely a lot that we learnt this year, from the good, the bad to the extremely ugly. Now, it’s time we take what we’ve learnt and put it into action. For today, however, just take the time to say goodbye to this year and induldge in some self-care. See you in 2021 guys!

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