LemonSwan survey: Looking for a partner during the third wave of the pandemic
Hamburg, April 7, 2021. Sharing an ice cream in the sun, taking a walk in the park – how open-minded or cautious are singles right now in the midst of the third wave of the pandemic when it comes to meeting someone in person? Have they learned to deal with the situation? This is exactly what the latest results of a LemonSwan survey of 1,180 users on the topic of meeting people in the age of COVID-19 show. A comparison with the answers that LemonSwan singles gave to the same questions in early summer 2020 reveals that the majority of singles did not want to forego meeting people in person then, and still don't now (2020: 75 percent, 2021: 78 percent) – pandemic or not. However, it is interesting to note that men in particular want to return to normality, while women are still cautious.
This is how singles' attitudes toward dating have changed despite lockdowns and contact restrictions
A full 83 percent of male respondents are currently open to meeting an interesting woman in person. Among women, the figure is “only” 73 percent. Accordingly, one in four men said that they would meet up with someone to get to know them, just as they did before the coronavirus pandemic. Among women, only one in ten would do so. Important for both genders: getting to know each other online beforehand in order to better assess how he or she feels about the current situation and what a meeting might look like. Forty-five percent of the LemonSwan singles surveyed rely on this approach – it is even more important for women (49 percent) than for men (41 percent). However, this point has lost some of its relevance compared to last year: in 2020, getting to know each other online was still an important criterion for more than half of those surveyed (51 percent) when it came to arranging a subsequent date.
Do you want to keep your distance from me?
But how do singles deal with infection control when they actually meet? In early summer 2020, the simplest of all AHA rules, keeping your distance, was still the top priority for just under a third (29 percent) of those surveyed. In spring 2021, this seems to have changed, with only 18 percent of survey participants keeping their distance – here too, women (20 percent) are more cautious than men (16 percent).
No kissing? That depends on the messages and phone calls beforehand.
When it comes to kissing and touching on first dates, the trend is also slowly moving towards less caution: In the 2020 survey, more than one in three LemonSwan singles (39 percent) said they were more cautious than before the pandemic when it came to kissing and touching. Today, only one in four (24 percent) say this. Only 13 percent say no to kissing, with women again being more cautious. For one in five respondents (19 percent), kissing and touching are out of the question. Among men, however, the figure is only 8 percent. The most important criterion for both men and women in allowing the intimacy of a kiss or even touching is, once again, the common ground that was established beforehand when getting to know each other online and on the phone. More than one in three (35 percent) make initial displays of affection dependent on this.
Potential partners should be on the same wavelength when it comes to infection control
Even though the trend is slightly towards less caution, singles in the pandemic clearly attach great importance to getting to know each other before
meeting in person
– in 2020 as well as in 2021.
So it's no surprise that many singles looking for love online still want a partner who shares their attitude toward coronavirus protection measures. This was important for three out of four single women (74 percent) and more than half of men (53 percent) in the LemonSwan survey.
That's a total of 64 percent, slightly more than in early summer 2020, when 62 percent said so.
After a year of the pandemic: Singles have come to terms with their situation
So what's the situation now? Are singles tired of coronavirus, or have they learned to assess risks better? In fact, the latest online survey by LemonSwan shows that most singles have come to terms with their situation: more than a third (37 percent) have now settled well into the current situation. A good 29 percent are even optimistic about the future. However, about another third (31 percent) also say that the measures taken in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic are causing them distress.
Sabine Schoeler, CEO of LemonSwan, comments on the survey results: "The figures show that the search for love and the thrill of meeting someone in person cannot be stopped by a pandemic, but that meeting people virtually has become even more important. And we see that after a year of the pandemic, many singles are more experienced. If you're on the same wavelength when you meet, including when it comes to infection control, then nothing stands in the way of meeting in person."
Methodology:
Between March 17, 2021, and March 23, 2021, LemonSwan surveyed 1,188 members of the platform about their
assessments and attitudes regarding meeting in person during the coronavirus pandemic. For comparison, an online survey of 683 members of the platform was conducted between May 30, 2020, and June 3, 2020.
About LemonSwan
LemonSwan is a dating agency for long-term relationships that aims to make online dating more enjoyable, especially for women. Founded in 2017 by Arne Kahlke and Paul Uhlig and based in Hamburg, the company uses a scientifically based personality test, the LemonSwan® method, to provide tailor-made partner suggestions. The trademark of the young company is the swan—because these animals are faithful to their partners for life. For more information, visit www.lemonswan.com
LemonSwan press team:
