Dating During Lockdown: the Ups and Downs

It’s safe to say that coronavirus and being in lockdown has changed a lot of things this year. It’s affected work life, school life and general life. 

But what kind of impact has it had on your relationships? 

We reached out to you guys and asked if dating has been easier during coronavirus or not. And unsurprisingly, 84% of you said no, and only 16% said yes.

So what’s made it so difficult? Well, first things first, lockdown itself and social distancing, of course. It’s pretty hard to see people when you’re not even allowed out of your house! A lot of you agreed with this.

And even when lockdown restrictions began to lift, it didn’t suddenly become easier. One of you, when talking about your partner said “I can't see them. They live four busses away and wearing a mask is a nightmare” and this seemed to be a common occurrence. “It's been hard because you can’t see or hug the person you love” was another answer, backed up by an unfortunate case of wrong timing, right people: “I met my partner right before lockdown and haven't seen them for months .. not good!”

But amazingly, it’s not all been bad. The lack of being able to see each other physically has meant the whole world became even more dependent on technology than ever before! Zoom, Houseparty, Facetime, Whatsapp, Snapchat and Instagram have been used almost non-stop over the past few months and have reminded us all how easy it is to stay connected without being actually connected. And a lot of you were really thankful for this. “We've been having to have dates over calls but it also means we've been able to talk more to each other” said one of you, which was a sentiment that a lot of people also agreed with: “online calls are really key to keep in contact with who I’m dating” said one of you, followed by “me and my boyfriend started talking more than we did before corona!!” and it even sparked international relationships, with one of you saying “I'm single but I have recently been chatting to this girl from America”. Amazing!

For some of you though, unfortunately dating during corona has also meant the end of relationships. A few of you commented on this saying things such as “it made me have to end a relationship as my now ex moved away” and “me and my girlfriend broke up because she said there's no point, we can't see each other.”

However, through everything that’s happened, you’ve all learnt a whole lot - about yourselves, about your partners and about the world around you! And the majority of it has been positive learnings! From understanding that “small gestures matter, communication is vital, and having time for one another is a must” to “it's easier to be more independent from your partner which is good”. and “in a time of self reflection and growth, loving yourself is the most important thing!” You’ve really used this time for reflection!

Finally, we asked you what advice and top tips you have for everyone else out there who is navigating the dating world right now. Here’s just some of the best bits:

“Be patient and take your time.”

“If someone says that you can't do it, don't listen to them because I believe in you...YOU  CAN DO IT!”

“Just be you. If they don't accept you for who you are and want you to change, don't bother.”

“Communicate and remember that respect goes both ways.”

“Not seeing them as often might seem scary and difficult but love, trust and communication helps.”

How have you found dating during lockdown? Let us know on @NCS!