OkCupid Asks Users If They Would Vaccinate & Date or Not Vaccinate & Wait

Last year was truly unprecedented and changed everything about every aspect of our lives. Relationships underwent a dramatic transformation and 2021 has become a year full of discoveries, experiments, revelations and ‘slow dating’ coming back into fashion with long meaningful conversations and (digitally) shared experiences. As we reset to the  ‘new normal’, OkCupid went in for their annual Valentine’s Day check-in with a study to understand how are Indian millennials dating and their take on love and relationships. To understand how millennials are celebrating Valentine’s Day, what is their take on love and relationships, and what they feel about dating with or without the vaccine, dating service OkCupid reviewed the answers to some of the most popular questions on the app.  Below is a roundup of the data and insights from the same:  

• Let’s have a shot! Errr...a vaccine shot? 

When asked, ‘Would you take the Covid-19 vaccine?’, it was a mixed bag but predominantly led by 56% women and 49% men giving a resounding yes. Compared to only 21% men and 20% women who admitted to being absolutely averse to the idea of getting themselves vaccinated against Covid-19. 

• Let’s go on a Valentine’s Day date whatsay? But first, let’s talk about your faith in science

When asked, ‘Would you cancel a Valentine’s date with someone who didn’t want to take the COVID-19 vaccine”, 54% women would cancel their date in case their potential partner is opposed to the idea of taking a vaccine shot. After all, health over anything else always. However, it was interesting to find that 67% of the men, a large majority, were very much willing to go on a date with someone who won’t take the vaccine. 

• Millennials vote Love > Sex, especially women 

When asked, What rules over millennials and their relationships, love or sex?’, majority of daters on OkCupid choose having and building an emotional connection over a physical one. Regardless of future plans, when it comes to choosing between love or sex,  majority of men (66%) and a staggering number of women (86%) said YES to finding their kind of love! 

• Do you think you are romantic?

A staggering 77% of men think that they are the most romantic person they know compared to 65% of women on the app. It’s no wonder the heart eye emoji is a favourite. 

• The question everybody wants an answer to - First date on V-day? Yay, day of love or nay, too cliche?

Again, a majority (65%) of men are more likely to plan a first date on Valentine’s day, compared to only 50% of women.  OkCupid’s hot tip- sign up on the app this weekend and let love find you.  

• Love ≠ Marriage 

Surprise, surprise! 68 percent of the users say that they don’t believe marriage is mandatory for two people in love. How have definitions changed for millennials! 

• Is love overrated and over celebrated?

The idea of V-day and celebrating a whole month of love might make it seem a bit overdone and cliche to 33% of OkCupid’s millennial users. However, 39% of them feel otherwise. They really believe in the idea of love and feel that it deserves to be celebrated in all its glory. All love everywhere! A large majority are in-fact hopeful romantics with 88% men and 87% women wanting to find love, or have love find them. 

• Is there serendipity in love? 

Millennials are open to finding serendipity of love on a dating app like OkCupid with 61% men and 57% women saying yes to falling in love with someone they meet online. 

With V-day right around the corner, OkCupid  is encouraging singletons to stay romantic and stay hopeful. Keeping this in mind, the dating app launched the second leg of its digital campaign #LoveIs… to gently remind single Indian millennials that they should not be disheartened as #LoveIsIncoming. Through its latest campaign, OkCupid reaches out to these singletons like a warm hug in winters to let them know that they should not despair and be positive, after all love is right around the corner, it is incoming! And OkCupid is there to help them find it. For all those single and hopeful millennials that are looking for their kind of love, OkCupid is here to play cupid but unlike Sima Aunty, it does not judge, instead it's the perfect nudge! With more than 3000 questions in its algorithm, OkCupid helps single millennials find their kind of quirky love without having to change themselves and who they are. 

Commenting further, Relationship Expert Dr. Rachna Khanna Singh says, “Millennials today are waiting to fall in love with a partner of their choice who shares their vibe and is on the same wavelength. They are willing to step out of their comfort zones but that doesn't necessarily transcend into changing themselves completely to cater to what society at large and their family/ friends want them to be like. Millennials do not live by gender or societal stereotypes anymore and have broken those shackles. They know who they are and what they want. When it comes to love, they are romantics at heart but they also want love on their own terms. Having said that, Valentine’s Day or the month of love can induce a sense of loneliness and hopelessness amongst single dating millennials who continue to be true to what they want but haven’t crossed paths with a potential partner who they can fall in love with leading to self-doubt and isolation. OkCupid’s #LoveIsIncoming campaign is a gentle reminder to them that romance is not dead and they should not lose hope! They can still meet like-minded people who match them and their quirks, and who knows cupid might strike! The serendipities that online dating has to offer are immense and waiting to be explored.”