The COVID-19 pandemic changed the world in many ways, and according to a poll from the dating app Hinge, it also changed the dating world.
According to a new survey of its users, 45% say the pandemic changed their dating habits for the better.
The lockdown times have singles reassessing what they want, and casual hookups evidently aren’t on the menu for many.
“Many daters feel like they’re making up for lost time and are ready for a long-term committed relationship,” explained Hinge’s director of relationship science, Logan Ury.
To that end, 39% percent of Hinge users say they’re more picky about potential dates than they were before we heard first heard the term “social distancing”; 91% say they don’t want to “waste time” on Mr. or Ms. Wrong.
That said, 34% are still into “situationships” — that is, casual dating situations, but even those are now more clear about expressing what they want out of …whatever they’re calling their coupling.
Also, the pandemic made daters focus more on themselves: 78% say they’re investing in their own mental health, and more than half — 59% — say they’re doing so before they spend time looking for someone else.
With that in mind, 97% say they’re attracted nowadays to someone who looks after their own mental health, with 86% saying they’d be more eager to pursue that coveted second date if their potential partner was in therapy.
Survey questions, methodology and results have not been verified or endorsed by ABC News or The Walt Disney Company.