The beginning of each new year brings a flood of new trends: fashion trends, health trends, food trends, and yes, even dating trends. We have compiled six dating trends for 2022 that will dominate the way we seek love, whether you’re tired of endlessly scrolling through dating apps or starting to date again after a breakup.
- Age-appropriate dating apps
Take a look at Google searches for ‘dating apps for seniors,’ which have increased by a shocking 3,500 percent over the past few months. Although older singles can (and should) use sites and apps like Match, OKCupid, Bumble, or Hinge, there are also services tailored exclusively to more mature singles.
- Embracing singlehood
Although it’s quite the opposite from a dating trend, Bumble predicts that conscious singles are set to grow in number. “We’ve all heard about ‘conscious uncoupling,’ but the site’s experts write that 2022 is about finding the right partner, not just someone.” They point out that, based on their data, half of us have realized it is OK to be alone for a while. As the future unfolds, people are deliberate about how and when they decide to remain single, with many singletons across the globe (54 percent) cultivating greater self-awareness when it comes to dating
- Taking it slow
It’s been trending since the beginning of the Pandemic, and despite new versions popping up every few months (at least it seems like it) it’s still going strong. The Bumble website defines slow dating as “people taking the time to get to know one another and build a connection before deciding whether to continue dating or meet in person.” Over half of Bumble users take longer than they should to move their match offline. Taking the time and considering the circumstances, a pandemic will change one’s outlook, says Jemma Ahmed, Bumble’s head of insights. People will look at relationships in a different way. Ahmed says that people are getting to know themselves a lot better. They are, therefore, taking the time to determine who is right for them.”
- Physical Attractiveness vs. Emotional Intelligence
Changing attitudes toward emotional maturity are a key theme of Match’s annual Singles in America report. In the report, it states that singles this year ranked physical attractiveness lower than they had in the past, while they rated characteristics like open-mindedness and acceptance higher. One survey found that 83 percent of singles are more concerned with an individual’s emotional maturity than their physical attractiveness. Physical attractiveness fades, but compassion and progressive behavior won’t.
- Feeling hesitant about dating
According to the fifth annual list of dating trends created by dating app Plenty of Fish, this trend first emerged. POF explains that hesidating refers to feelings of indecision about dating, due to the fact that life, in general, is so uncertain right now that there is no certainty about which areas to focus on. A number of celebrity couples (hello, Bennifer) have been committing quickly to their relationships. 70 percent of singles, however, say they are hesitant when it comes to dating. With their love lives, they’re mirroring general uncertainty in the world, which leads to a reluctance to publicly express themselves. The incredible chaos of the last two years has left many of us clinging to what they perceive to be safest and most secure in their lives. It isn’t scary to begin dating again after a long break.
- A “dry dating” experience
Women-first dating app Bumble says many Americans have reevaluated their relationship with alcohol over the past two years, which has spilled over into their dating lives. Among the global daters surveyed, 34 percent are now more likely to consider a ‘dry date’ than they were pre-pandemic, and 29 percent believe social norms have changed on drinking and dating. After all, one of those casual latte dates followed by a chilly stroll through the park wouldn’t seem all that bad, according to reports.
