OkCupid Data Predicts 8 Dating Trends Singles Can Expect from 2021

Between a worldwide pandemic, nation-wide lockdown, subsequent social distancing which is still a norm and the most important U.S. presidential election impacting the world, this year has been a wild ride for singles around the world. But through the ups and downs, one thing was clear: people wanted to find love more than ever before. Love under lockdown sparked a new wave of romance, and we’ve seen relationships form and flourish even while in isolation. When a physical connection was no longer an immediate option for many, we saw a significant increase in people connecting virtually over the things they care about.

Based on the responses from singles around the world, here are the top trends for the future of dating:

Advodating

In the past year, more than 340,000 people on OkCupid said they consider themselves activists — and young women are really leading this trend. In India, 46% millennials consider themselves an advocate of important issues like voting, LGBT rights, etc. Views are progressive with 96% users on OkCupid saying they are an #AllyOfLove as they care about LGBTQi+ issues. Moreover, 95% members from the LGBTQ+ community believe gay marriages should be made legal in India. Globally, with over 2.5 million responses to our new questions about racial equality, we’re confident this trend of daters looking for fellow advocates will only increase in 2021. 

Borderless love

Since the beginning of the pandemic, connections and conversations across borders are up nearly 50% among singles, and people are setting their location preferences to “anywhere” more than ever before. Plus, more than 1.5 million people on OkCupid are now open to a long-distance relationship. But it’s not just cross-border love people are looking for. Singles are dating outside their cultural backgrounds at unprecedented rates. 

Apolitical dating 

In India, dating millennials are loud and vocal about their stand voting being important but when it comes to their love lives, they will date someone who has a completely opposite opinion to them on the topic. Women care more about what their partner’s political leanings are than men do. 54 percent of women would like to match with partners who share their political beliefs whereas only 21 percent men care. All around the world, more than 2 million people answered our question “Do you prefer that your date shares your political views?”. 64% of respondents in the US agree that cross-party dating is a deal-breaker. While conversations around politics have seen an uptick in recent times, only time will tell if it will be a deal-breaker when it comes to dating for everyone around the world. 

Selfie with substance love 

The onset of pandemic brought many new changes and dating was no different. Dating apps provided a safe passage for millennials to find love during the lockdown, with this the usage of dating apps reached unprecedented levels this year.  Around 92% of OkCupid respondents around the world revealed that they would continue to look for love even under lockdown, and almost 30% of singles reported going on at least one virtual date while quarantining. As daters spent more time on dating apps, they admitted to focusing much more on having a photo on their profile that accurately depicts their individuality and personality. This has specifically become important to users due to the fact that at least for a while, these pictures will be the sole way to ‘meet’ people. With daters stuck at home with no concert or vacation photos to upload, they are taking more selfies to keep their profiles up to date. OkCupid’s latest research reveals that 95% of daters think smiling selfies are best (psst… they’re right!).

Speed-Rooming

When it comes to dating in 2020, one of the most important factors for singletons looking for love is how compatible they are with their potential partners. This is not just restricted to agreeing on issues of marriages, children and political matters but also day to day activities that might be subconsciously very important to individuals. Millennials have started to try out living together before they get married and this is a choice more and more people are starting to make to ensure they have that kind of compatibility that they desire.  89% of dating millennials in 2020 all around the world agree that couples should live together before considering getting married.

Slow Dating

As the pressure of rushing to meet up with someone IRL vanishes, we’re going to see a rise in “slow dating” — a blend of deeper conversations and more romance through digital and virtual dating. A staggering 84% of people on OkCupid think it’s important to have an emotional connection before a physical one. In India, 38% women confessed that they would like to take things slower and have more virtual interactions even in a post pandemic world, vs 25% men. There's no rush and people are enjoying spending time from the comfort of their home’s chatting with potential dates and creating stronger emotional bonds. And this slowdown in dating is leading to more women taking control of their love lives.  

Thunberging

Over the years, daters on OkCupid have answered our in-app questions about climate change more than 6 million times. Not only do nearly 2 million people on OkCupid believe climate change is real, but 85% of Millennial respondents are concerned about the climate crisis. Climate change is a topic especially close to the heart of millennials. This can be observed in their lifestyle changes but in particular during the festive seasons like Diwali. A staggeringly large percentage of Indian daters (70%) agree with the ban on firecrackers. They do not seem to think anymore that bursting crackers is a part of celebrations and traditions. OkCupid is finding that more and more people’s passion for the planet is becoming an important topic to bond over. 

Wilder-dating

After being in lockdown for most of the year, daters will be looking to experience the great outdoors as a way to get to know their match. More than half of OkCupid’s respondents from around the world (59%) said the recent pandemic has made them more motivated towards future adventures, with outdoor dates proving a popular option for socially distanced meet-ups. In fact, 27% of Indian women have sworn to be appreciative of the outdoors when lives get back to normal. People are looking forward to spending time being one with nature and teaming that up with meeting their matches for an adventurous date idea. 

Please find here a global release from OkCupid about the future of dating with data focused on the US. 

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