As the pandemic locked us inside our homes and made in-person dating a distant reality, Indian Gen Z rushed to Tinder to get some much-needed social interaction. Instead of disconnecting, the Tinder community embraced the new normal and found more reasons to put themselves out there in the world in the most honest and unfiltered way possible.
Tinder's Future of Dating report offers insights into the next decade of dating based on behavioural shifts observed during the pandemic. Gen Z (18-25 years old) that makes for Tinder's largest user base has become more self-aware and comfortable with presenting their authentic self socially. Boundaries have become more transparent and vulnerabilities nothing to shy away from. Bio mentions of 'anxiety' grew by 31%, 'boundaries' by 19% and 'consent' by 11%. Gen Zers are also breaking bad and throwing dating strongholds to the wind by choosing to keep things fluid: 62% of users expressed their unwillingness to commit, and would rather define the relationships on their own terms. As daters seek personal, more creative activities like roller skating (bio mentions up by 3X) for first-dates, lack of physical contact has pushed appreciation for smallest physical gestures and touch greatly.
Future of Dating Top Trends:
#1: Daters will be more honest and authentic.
The pandemic prompted people, including Tinder members, to be more introspective, leading to online interactions and personal portrayal becoming more truthful and vulnerable. Mentions of 'anxiety' and 'normalize' in bios grew during the pandemic ('anxiety' grew 31%; 'normalize' grew more than 15X).
#2: Boundaries will become more transparent
The pandemic brought up more discussions of personal boundaries and initiated conversations about consent. Tinder members used their bios to make their expectations clear: the phrase 'wear a mask' went up 100X throughout the pandemic, 'boundaries' is being used more than ever (up 19%), and the term 'consent' rose 11%. From the 2000 Indian singles surveyed, 71% said they are open with their hygiene preference prior to meeting a date. 66% said knowing their date's mask-wearing habits before they meet is important while 66% remain 6 feet apart when deciding to meet a date IRL.
#3: More people will want to "See where things go"
In a recent survey on Indian singles, 62% of singles said they aren't looking for a committed relationship and prefer friendship with romantic potential or casual dating. Tinder users utilised the pandemic for seeking more open-ended relationships rather than conforming to society's chronology of dating.
#4: Digital dates will remain part of the new normal.
With in-person dating becoming risky, people turned to Tinder to continue socially interacting with others. While born out of necessity, digital dating has been embraced as the new normal and seen as a boon by many. According to a recent Tinder survey, singles appreciate digital dates' ability to lower the pressure associated with getting to know someone. 68% found it easier to make connections online, 67% said meeting new people online was liberating, and 60% felt less judged while interacting.
#5: First dates will be more about activities than icebreakers.
With pandemic shutting down bars and restaurants, Tinder users chose creative, personal and casual first-date activities. Tinder saw a 3X increase in mentions of 'roller skating', and requests for date activities from fort building to grocery stores pop up in bios.
#6: Small touches will have a big impact.
Members are using their bios to seek out affection like hand-holding, cuddling, or someone to touch their hair. With in-person interactions being restricted and regulated at different levels of stringency across the world, daters grew to appreciate the smaller moments of physical touch. Use of the word 'cuddle' increased by 23%, and 'hand holding' by up 22%.
#7: People will always want to date someone close by.
Tinder's geolocation, the platform's ability to find someone nearby, was highly relevant for the pandemic reverse migration boom. Mentions of 'moving' in bios shot up by 28% in 2020.
#8: Gen Z swipes right on staying connected, meeting new people
Tinder's recent survey* spills that every 1 out of 3 Gen Indian surveyed Gen Z feels lonely due to lack of social interactions (35%); and believes they've had to hit pause on their entire lives (34%). Gen Z Indians cited 'making new connections', 'finding friends in their communities', and 'looking for fun hangout buddies' as the top reasons to swipe today.
