Many were expecting a reprieve from Covid-19 and a return to a sense of normalcy during the summer, but we have now learned that the warmer weather alone won’t save us from coronavirus. With confirmed cases of over 20 million globally and 5 million in the U.S., people are struggling to contain the spread of the COVID-19 while also balancing the need to live life. During this time of ever changing public-health advice and the politicization of wearing masks, people are trying to figure out how to connect safely with friends, lovers, and loved ones.
In my research about online…
How COVID-19 is changing dating and hooking up
Before the pandemic people were swimming in a pool of what felt like endless possibilities on dating and hook up apps. The downside of such abundance has shown up in my research, as people report experiencing what psychologist and professor Barry Schwartz refers to as the paradox of choice which manifests in an inability to make a decision when faced with too many options. …
I was recently interviewed by Tess Goodwin about online dating for Boise State Public Radio. Read the article or listen at He’s Just Not That Into Zoom: Dating In Boise During COVID-19.
Though Goodwin’s title suggests this dating scenario is Boise specific, my research suggests these trends are not regional. People looking for connection are all over the map during these pandemic times. On one end of the spectrum, people are taking a break from dating until social distancing calls are lifted and on the other end are those taking a business as usual approach, inviting potential matches to “break…
Recently on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Dr. Sanjay Gupta was asked if people should date in the time of Coronavirus to which his answer was “it depends on how much you like the person”. Colbert then asked about blind dates, to which Gupta said, “no, no blind dates.” Colbert prodded further, asking about Tinder, to which Gupta promptly fired back, “definitely not, but even before this, no Tinder,” then laughed it off and said, “I’m kidding.”
Despite Gupta’s warning to avoid dating and apps, people are still swiping. An OkCupid survey recently showed 92% of Americans and 88%…
While many believe that online dating apps are busiest leading up to Valentine’s Day, it’s actually the week after when millions of people are most active swiping left and right on their phones.
In fact, the month of March sees the heaviest traffic for people searching online for love, lust, and companionship, as many people go back on the market, some after relationships come to an end after surviving the holidays and others after being “valentighted” a new term coined to describe “the heartbreaking act of dumping someone right before Valentine’s Day, because you’re too tight to get them a…
Riki Thompson
Digital communication scholar and certified word nerd. Researching how people find love, lust, and connection in the digital age. www.connectingdigitally.com
