OkCupid helps users to bring their A game in virtual dates

There’s never a bad time to fall in love, so if you’re single during this once uncertain time make the best of it. Dating apps like OkCupid have ensured that love truly knows no bounds. Connecting with someone online and spending time getting to know them better is a sure-shot way of starting on the right note.  When meeting people is not only intimidating but dangerous, slow dating and virtual dating have taken center stage. OkCupid alone has reported a whopping increase in activity with a 26% increase in conversations and a solid 12% increase in matches throughout the country! In fact, a huge 91% of the app’s millennial users have said that they’ll continue to date, albeit virtually and would not let the lockdown lock-in their love lives.  

OkCupid understands millennial needs and also realizes that while people want to date virtually, they might not know how to actually do it! In this endeavor, they partnered with The Screen Patti to showcase a new couple’s journey from the time they first met online, go on a virtual date, form a connection through dating online, and what all they do together while self-isolating. Small similarities, such as a love for old Bollywood references, sharing beloved snacks during the rain, and love for yoga, can bring people together online on OkCupid and help them find ‘their kind’ of partner. “TSP’s Lockdown wala Match” by The Screen Patti featuring Shivankit Singh Parihar and  Apoorva Arora Illustrates the course of virtual dating, how couples can go about doing it, what they can do together and how rewarding it can be. The video has struck such a chord with millennials that it has garnered 720k views as of 12th May 2020 entertaining the over 4.79 million subscribers of The Screen Patti.

While you watch the fun video and think of how you can bring your A-game to virtual dating, here are some virtual date ideas on what all you can possibly do with someone you met online to help you get to really know them.

Talk

Conversations are highly underrated as a relationship builder. Use the questions on OkCupid to discuss your differences, similarities, and most unusual quirks. Start with text messages, move to phone calls, and then when you’re feeling comfortable and recognized for who you are more than just your face, move to video calls.

Binge-watch ‘together’

Nothing is better than the feeling of watching the most thrilling content in the comfort of your PJs. Add to this the company of your match and the only thing that can compete for attention is a bowl of popcorn. Sharing laughs, gasps, and learn more about each other’s choices while requiring nothing but an internet connection makes this one of the easiest date ideas.
Basic tip: Don’t drop spoilers and ruin the mood.

Work out and get fit together

Solo workouts can feel like a  and we are all guilty of skipping a few sessions. Make it a date and hold yourself accountable. Not only do the added endorphins act as a mood booster, but you’re also building a solid bond.

Build a playlist of your lives

The 90s are not forgotten. Back then, sharing mixtapes with your crush was the ultimate confession. Favorite music, inherently, is such a private thing. Introspect and shortlist 10 songs that were important to you through various stages of your life, make a playlist, share it with your match, ask them to add theirs and discuss your music tastes.

Cooking brings you closer 

There is a positive to the extra time, after all. Bring out your inner master chef and cook together, unleash your competitive side with a game of “whose cooking looks better”. Cooking can reveal a lot about a person, their kitchen talents, their patience levels, whether they are detail-oriented and whether they’re as organized as they say they are. The extra reward is that you don’t even have to share your treat!. Ahem, so no faking the appreciation.

Dress up and Drank 

The most important thing while wooing someone is putting in the effort. Make it a virtual date night in. Dress up to, smell and look amazing, break out that bottle of wine and have a nice conversation over drinks. Small gestures like combing your hair (thanks mom!) go a long way to show your match that you have been looking forward to a date with them.

A Virtual Holiday

After 6 weeks at home, you deserve a vacay with bae. Don’t let the world repairing dampen your spirits. Find yourselves chill backgrounds, match your playlist, and get ready for the most fun evening in your dream destination! May we suggest a dance party for two while at it. 

The Pandemic may have become our reality, but it doesn’t have to take over our dating lives completely. The upside of dating your match virtually is that you have even more encouragement to be yourself. A lot of the pressure is off and you can just lay back, deepen your connection, and get to know each other emotionally without the pressure of a physical meeting. So, make it count!

This lockdown extension, set yourself free from the limitations of conventions and plan a virtual date NOW with these ideas!