Survey reveals online dating trends of 2021

CHENNAI: The pandemic changed the way people date. And now, the dating app QuackQuack has come out with a survey about the online dating trends of 2021.
“The pandemic has indeed thrown a few curveballs towards individuals wanting to date. In my opinion, males and females alike are rapidly coming to terms with a new universe of online dating every single day and embracing more self-paced and healthier ways of dating, an evolving process that shall be the norm soon,” said Ravi Mittal, founder & CEO of QuackQuack.
Here are some of the key findings of the survey:
~ Vaccination is a must: Eight out of every 10 people who were part of the sample size of the survey voiced their opinion in favour of compulsory vaccination as a precursor to a date. And 65% and 75% of people belonging to the age groups of 18-20 and 21-30 respectively agreed upon the same. The importance of a double jab was uniformly highlighted across both the top cities as well as the tier 2 cities as 75% and 70% of the sample size belonging to each felt that the first step towards a safe date would have to be complete vaccination of the other. It was that 80% of the women and 70% of the men felt the necessity of inoculation prior to dates.
~ Dating with a purpose: Due to the safety protocols, people have had very little reason to venture outdoors, thereby leading them to reflect on the nature of the dates they have found on the dating app -- 47% women and 35% men who were part of the survey vouched for this behavioural change and said it led them towards healthier relationships than before. While nearly 37% of urban teenagers found that their dating process had taken a purposeful turn, 39% of those from rural or semi-urban areas felt likewise.
~ Location: 58% and 56 % of individuals between the age groups of 18 to 20 and 21 to 30 respectively preferred pairing up with those belonging to a different location as it would help expand their radius of search for a prospective partner. This trend seemed to be more prominent within women as 58% of them were comfortable dating partners from other locations as against a relatively lower 50% among men. Further investigation into a demographic analysis of the sampled data revealed that 46% of those residing in major metro cities preferred dating beyond the confines of their home location whereas a comparatively higher 57% chose the same in the case of smaller cities as well as towns. The numbers indicate that a significant number of individuals do not find location to be a major barrier when it comes to dating and are flexible with having partners from a place other than their own.
~ Video calling versus meeting in person: 56% people in the age group of 18 to 20 preferred having their first date on a virtual medium and were risk-averse. In contrast, 43% people in the age bracket of 30 and above, belonging to a more old school approach, chose to meet in person whilst following all the necessary safety precautions.