You
can say in 2022, dating has been a stormy ride. So what is in store for our
love lives in 2023?
Over
the past year, relationship priorities have shifted, with people favoring
increased vulnerability and mindfulness, as well as giving sober (curious)
dating a whirl. A new trend called Winter Coating has emerged, whereby people
reach out to former partners and exes to rekindle an extinguished flame so they
will have someone to keep them warm during the winter. The cost of living is
also having a major impact on dating habits, with many opting for "cash
candid dating" — increased transparency over their finances (and money
worries) in the early stages of dating. Environmentally conscious singles are
opting for "green dating" and eliminating potential matches not
aligned with their views on climate change.
Dating
app Bumble has released its annual predictions for what we can expect in the
New Year. Warning, emotional needs are high on people's list of priorities.
Naomi
Walkland, Bumble’s vice president for Europe, said, "2022 was a formative year with the
return of travel, the drastic increase in our social lives and commitments, and
several turbulent global events." She added it left many people feeling
exhausted and overwhelmed in response to these changes. "In response to
this, we’ve seen that people on Bumble are now prioritizing, identifying, and
clearly articulating their boundaries. These boundaries can be emotional, like
being upfront about what they want or recognizing red and green flags,
physical, like ensuring they don’t over commit themselves, or financial,
encouraging candid conversations about previously taboo topics."
New Year - New Men - In a survey of 14,300 Bumble users around the world,
seventy-four percent of men say they have looked inward and analyzed their own
behavior more than ever and have a clearer understanding of toxic masculinity.
The term toxic masculinity refers to a set of beliefs and behaviors, including
hiding your emotions or distress, using violence or "tough-guy"
behavior as a way of showing power, and exhibiting an appearance of
"hardness". Fifty-two percent of people on Bumble are actively trying
to challenge the gender stereotype men should not show emotions out of fear of
seeming "weak". Over a third (thirty-eight percent) of people now
talk about emotions more openly with male friends, and half of the men think that
dismantling gender roles in relationships and dating will benefit them.
Guard Railing - Setting boundaries is essential in all kinds of relationships —
whether you have just started dating, you are at work, or in any other
situation involving interactions with other human beings. Sixty-three percent
of daters say they are clearer about emotional needs and boundaries, and
fifty-nine percent are more thoughtful and intentional about how they put
themselves out there, with fifty-three percent aiming to not over-commit to
socializing.
Love-life Balance - Many people have been redefining what work and
professionalism mean to them in 2022. It makes sense, therefore, that people
are also inspecting the values they seek in romantic partners. Looking good on
paper and prioritizing professional success are not at the top of everyone's
list these days. In what people are looking for in a partner, fifty-four
percent of people surveyed care more about their work/life balance than their
career status. One in ten people will no longer date someone who has a very
demanding job, and fifty-two percent of people are actively trying to make more
space for rest in their life.
Open Casting - One in three daters is now more open to considering dating beyond
their "type". In the UK in particular, fifty-two percent of
daters are expanding their horizons beyond what they would typically go for.
One in four people is less pressured when meeting other people's expectations
of whom they should date.
Ethical Sex-ploration - Let us talk about sex. Forty-three percent of daters are
navigating sex and intimacy in a more exploratory and open way, while
fifty-three percent believe it is paramount to express sexual wants and needs
early in a relationship. Over the past year, twenty percent of daters have
explored their sexuality more, and one in eight people are considering ethical non-monogamy.
These figures do not mean people are having more sex. However, in the UK, forty-two percent of daters
surveyed are currently not having sex, and they are fine with that, and
globally, thirty-four percent said the same.
Wander Love - Thirty-three percent of people on Bumble is now more open to having
relationships with people not in their current city. With more jobs allowing
for flexible work arrangements and even "digital nomad" arrangements,
fourteen percent of daters have explored the prospect of becoming a digital
nomad and dating people from far-flung destinations.
Dating renaissance - Many of us know someone who had a pandemic breakup. Per
Bumble's data, thirty-nine percent of people on the dating app ended a marriage
or serious relationship within the past two years. These individuals are not
entering a second chapter — a renaissance if you will — and some of whom
(thirty-six percent) are using dating apps for the very first time.
If
2022 was anything to go by, we are in for more changes in 2023 — hopefully
positive ones, like those listed above.
