The Coronavirus has presented the world with a new reality. People don’t leave their houses as or go out to eat as often as they used to, and people aren’t engaging in social activities. Young people are always very active and are highly engaged with their social lives. As a result of the Coronavirus, many young adults have been feeling more depressed about their lives.  

The Coronavirus has definitely affected the reality of dating. Many people have to go on dates while wearing masks and covering half of their faces, keeping a distance between one another, and many people have decided to date online, for example over zoom. 

Dating on zoom

Dating on zoom can present a challenge for many people. As a rule, we recommend going on shorter dates (between 30-45 minutes at a time, unless you're having fun!) Here are some tips and guidelines. 

Getting ready for the date

Throughout the Coronavirus pandemic, many people in dating organizations have observed that men are more hesitant about dating on zoom than women. This is due to the fact that men are visual creatures. Men need to see their date in person. They need to know what she looks like and to be physically attracted to her. This is not to say that women don’t care about physical attraction, but they first look for the personality and then connect more than the physical attraction.

When someone goes on a date over zoom, they think of it as being very casual. And as a result, they don’t put as much effort into the date. They don’t do their hair, makeup, or wear nice clothing. This has a big effect on your date's first impression of you. Therefore, it is important to put just as much effort into zoom dating as any other date and even more so!! 

Bad association & Positive attitude

Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, people have been doing everything on zoom, whether it is going to classes or having work meetings. People associate zoom with long hours of sitting in front of a screen, bad connections, and work. This makes people think of zoom in a negative way. When people have a negative association with the medium they are on, it affects their attitudes and behaviors.

This makes people hesitant to go on dates over zoom. When going on an in-person date, people try to show enthusiasm and optimism in order to give a good first impression. This can be very hard when someone is stuck in front of their computer for many hours in a row. However, it is important to come to the date with a positive attitude. When you show enthusiasm on a date, then your date is more likely to show enthusiasm too and the chances of there being a second date are much higher. So, try to be optimistic and not let zoom bring you down!

Activities & breaking the ice

No one wants to go on a date with awkward silences, s people have tricks about breaking the ice and avoiding them. On a regular in-person date it is easy to break the ice. You can break the ice by going bowling, playing billiards, or even going on a walk. However, with the Coronavirus, people have been restricted in their activities. This makes breaking the ice a lot harder.  

There are many things that people who are dating can do in order to break the ice and avoid awkward silences. Here are a few examples:

• Playing a game together – there are many online games that a couple can play together. This is a good way to do something interactive while also getting to know the person that you are playing with. 
• Place a cool background on your zoom screen – some people want to go with a simple background picture that will start up a conversation. For example – if someone put a background picture from a vacation they took – they can tell the other person about it and exchange stories. 
• Take your date somewhere cool – it isn’t uncommon for people to go hiking on dates. So, why not go on a hike and take your date with you via zoom. It can be very fun for both sides of the date and it is a way to do an activity together from afar. 
• Art projects – this is usually something you would do later on in the relationship (not a first date). Doing art projects together like painting can be very fun for the people on the date and it can help them distract themselves and make the time fly-by quickly. This will make dates much more fun and interactive. 

Sadly, the Coronavirus has affected the way people date. However, it is important to give dating online a chance because we don’t know how long this reality will last and many people have found success dating online. We hope that you get the most out of this experience. Good luck!