- Virtual first dates are becoming popular again due to the soaring cost of living.
- Gen Zers are choosing to meet with someone via Zoom or FaceTime for convenience and flexibility.
- However, virtual meetings cannot replace the chemistry and spark of an in-person meeting.
Virtual dating – a pandemic-era trend – is back in style because going out has become very expensive.
Gen Z in particular has embraced virtual first dating, which allows them to test the waters with new partners while coping with the rising cost of living.
According to dating app Wingman, 65% of users aged 18 to 27 choose to have a video call as their first date instead of meeting.
Wingman founder Tina Wilson told Business Insider that the statistic, taken from a survey of 500 users, showed the most notable change since the height of the pandemic.
Several members of Gen Z spoke to BI about this change and were largely supportive.
“Users in this younger age group are absolutely not paying attention to it, and they’re like, this is effective, this is great,” Wilson said. “You can chat quickly and see if there’s that spark.”
Some choose to preserve some of the fun of a regular date – but at a lower cost – by ordering takeout in place of their date for the call.
Bored with dating apps
Generation Z is a generation that knows what it wants and what it doesn’t want. Wilson said virtual first dates are a good way to weed people out.
“At the first alarm, they left,” she said.
Eunice Cycle, a musician living in Toronto, said she feels people of her generation are “jaded with the dating process” and are looking to speed it up.
Virtual first dates are cheaper because you don’t have to worry about buying food and drinks, not to mention $30 Ubers round trip. They are also practical.
“A lot of Gen Z people, if they’re on Tinder or Hinge or Bumble, are also seeing multiple people at the same time,” Cycle told BI. “That’s why they might prefer Zoom appointments, because you can have multiple appointments throughout the day without leaving your house.”
Gen Z women are also more likely to split bills on first dates, further deterring them from going on bad dates.
“People can’t afford rent, let alone go on a date,” he said, calling virtual dating “just a better overall experience.”
Wilson, the dating app’s founder, said there appears to be no shame among Gen Z in making this choice.
“Obviously you have to put yourself out there, you have to be a little bit vulnerable to get into a relationship,” she said. “But you have to think about yourself first. And it’s totally okay to say, you know what? I can’t spend money on a date. I have to budget.”
Traditional dating is difficult for some
Lalitaa Suglani, a relationship expert at eHarmony with a doctorate in psychology, told BI that Gen Z’s adoption of virtual first dates offers convenience, flexibility and security.
People can “assess compatibility” and “build relationships” in a way that doesn’t drain their energy, she said.
“Virtual first dates can provide valuable information about a person’s personality, communication style and interests before meeting in person,” she said.
Baker said he much prefers talking online rather than in person because he sometimes struggles with in-person interactions.
“I’m autistic and have social anxiety, so dating is out of my comfort zone,” he said. “As I’m an influencer, I’m used to being in front of a camera but I’m so shy in real life.”
Most people he meets online are happy to do that, he says, and it’s much less stressful for him.
Carlotta Cattelani, UK country manager for dating app Fruitz, told BI that virtual meetings make dating more accessible.
“If you can’t meet in person for any reason – whether it’s disability, availability or preference – you can still date and meet new people online. line,” she said.
A virtual date is a less formal chance to see if your partner is looking for the same things as you, Cattelani said.
“Plus, if things don’t go well, you don’t need to make up tedious chatter while you wait for the bill.”
You may need to log out
Sebastian Garrido, a Gen Z digital marketer, told BI that he’s seen virtual first dates come back and thinks they’re “a really effective way to reduce the price of dating.” YOU”.
But, he said, he doesn’t think everyone will agree.
It’s convenient to order your date’s favorite food from him, he said, and you can score a good deal, too. This might help those who think they have to pay for the first date.
“This will significantly reduce the cost of your food on the same day, and it will be delivered to your partners’ homes. That would be a benefit,” he said.
The downside, however, is that it “may seem like you don’t want to spend money on a proper appointment,” he said.
“I think ultimately it comes down to how much you’re willing to spend or what you have available,” he said.
Carrie Berk, content creator and author of the book “My Real-Life Rom-Com: How to Build Confidence and Write Your Own Relationship Rules,” told BI she understands the trend but also thinks it has its downsides .
“I feel like everything has changed online these days, so it’s only natural that dating has moved to the online space,” she said. “But sometimes we’re on the phone so much that we forget the value of that face-to-face interaction.”
She cautions that talking virtually can’t entirely replace meeting in person, so FaceTime dates should be used sparingly.
When the pandemic began, Berk, then 18, had never used a dating app. She met her first boyfriend online and talked to him on social media. They dated virtually for eight months.
“When I met this person after eight months, he looked nothing like he did on FaceTime,” she said. “I realized I had completely wasted my time.”
It’s easier to get “fished” on social media, she said, because virtual dates can’t replace the chemistry, body language and eye contact you might experience in real life. life.
“We are humans, after all,” she said. “We need that face-to-face interaction, I think, to really fall in love with someone.”
businessinsider
