Between flirtatiousness and caution: singles want personal dates
Hamburg, June 16, 2020. The sun is shining, cafés and restaurants are open again, and that nice person you've been chatting with online would like to meet up for a drink. What now? Are contact restrictions and infection control regulations making everyone looking for love online shy away from meeting up for ice cream, or is the desire to finally look that wonderful woman or man in the eye stronger? An online survey of more than 650 users of the online dating service* conducted by LemonSwan shows that three-quarters of those surveyed are definitely open to meeting in person—coronavirus or not. But anyone planning a date right now is being more cautious. Half of those surveyed say that whether they go on a date depends on how the digital get-to-know-you phase went.
Survey on the “new normal” for dates
For most of the singles surveyed on LemonSwan, it is clear that COVID-19 cannot stop them from finally meeting their potential soulmate in person. But what about social distancing, face masks, regulations in cafés and restaurants, etc.? Is there uncertainty here, or is everyone well informed? More than two-thirds (68 percent) of survey participants say confidently: “It's clear to me what's allowed.” Only 17 percent are not quite so sure, and 13 percent prefer to rely on their gut feeling rather than rules anyway.
And even though this may seem very clear and decisive, most of the online singles surveyed (51 percent) have become more cautious and want to get to know the man with the great smile or the woman with the interesting hobbies first and be able to assess them better before they meet. Almost a third (29 percent) want to keep their distance during the date, and 13 percent even wear face masks and would like their date to do the same. Only one in five are dating in the same way as before the pandemic. And when it comes to first kisses and touching, restraint is currently the order of the day, at least for more than a third of those surveyed (39 percent). Almost as many (38 percent) say it depends on how well they got to know each other online or by phone before the date. For the majority of online singles in the survey (30 percent), a kiss is not on the agenda until the third date anyway.
The coronavirus crisis is therefore definitely having an impact on how singles are currently meeting each other, so it is not surprising that the majority of those surveyed by LemonSwan, 62 percent, say that it is very important to them that their potential partner has the same attitude towards contact restrictions and coronavirus measures. Ultimately, however, almost everyone agrees that it is the special closeness to a partner that is the reason why they are looking for a partner online, according to 81 percent of the singles surveyed.
Methodology:
Online survey of 683 users of the platform between May 30, 2020, and June 3, 2020.
More information about the survey can be found here.
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
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