CLEVELAND — Single people are facing unique challenges in this pandemic, with 'Stay At Home' advisories in effect in some places and a 10 p.m. curfew in effect everywhere in Ohio, through January 2.
In this week's episode of the 3 Things to Know with Stephanie Haney podcast, 3News' digital anchor breaks down what it's like to try to make new romantic connections in the age of COVID-19, with insight from experts from Match.com and It's Just Lunch Cleveland. (Scroll down for links to listen and subscribe.)
The experts cover everything from the shift in what daters are looking for, changes in "hook-up culture" and reporting about Sexually Transmitted Infections, to what new dating trends are likely here to stay even after COVID-19 is gone for good.
Plus, 3News multimedia producer and reporter Kierra Cotton shares the COVID-safe date idea from Wine & Design that you Need to Know in NEO, and Stephanie explains why the parody Twitter account for the holiday tree in Rockefeller Center in New York City is such A Good Follow on Twitter.
Tinder, which is owned by Match and is notorious for being the go-to platform for people looking for casual connections, was the most popular dating app in Ohio in 2019, according to PC Mag.
Despite that, Match's Chief Dating Expert Rachel DeAlto explained a shift in what dating app users are looking for as they swipe right.
"Match does the Singles in America Study every year. This year was our tenth year. And we found that people had started to shift toward more intentional dating," DeAlto said.
"So 58 percent of single app daters, not just on Match, shifted toward more intentional dating. And that means that they’re actually really intentional about what they’re doing. They’re not just swiping, they’re not just there for hookups, they’re really intentionally looking to meet somebody."
With all that matching, you might be wondering how people are actually meeting, and just like everything else, it’s happening over Zoom. According to the experts, the video date is here to stay, even post-pandemic.
Among other things, It's Just Lunch Cleveland private matchmaker Ashley Bakewell shared tips on how to jazz up a video date.
"You have to treat it just as you’re going to a date in a restaurant," Bakewell said. "You want to get ready for the date. You want to be prepared. You want to wear something nice. Ya know, you don’t necessarily have to have your six inch heels on, but you want to be ready and prepared for the date, and be mentally prepared, too."
For more on how to be better at video dating, and what impact COVID-19 has had on hook-up culture in the online dating world, search for '3 Things to Know with Stephanie Haney on your favorite podcast platform, or follow these links: