Why Dating During a Pandemic Is Harder for Older Hetero Women
It’s not because of their age, it’s about what they want
While some couples are wondering if their relationship will make it through the coronavirus pandemic lockdown, many singles are wondering if their love life is over for good — or at least on indefinite hold.
But if you’re a single person of a certain age, like me, it’s hard not to think that there’s no time to waste. It’s tough enough dating when you’re older — having to wait a year or more until there’s a vaccine will mean that we’ll just be … even older.
Sigh.
And since just being older puts us at a greater risk of developing severe complications due to COVID-19 — even death — any potential new partner has to be really, really worth dying for.
This is not the time to settle.
Still, if you listen to dating experts, the pandemic is no reason to stop looking for love.
“It’s an excellent time for singles to date,” says Helen Fisher, an adviser to Match.com and a senior research fellow at the Kinsey Institute. “When your daily habits change, it’s novel. And novelty drives up dopamine in the brain. The novelty is setting up the brain, priming the brain for love. It’s a very good time for romance.”
