In this modern era of rapidly developing technologies, it is very difficult to make any predictions — everything is changing so very quickly. So we can’t be 100% sure that forecasts made today will come true. However, that won’t stop us from trying. But we will do this not only based on our own observations, but also based on data from a recent Tinder report, in which assumptions are made about how dating will look like in the near future.
The first and most important thing that needs to be said on this topic is that representatives of generation Z are more and more actively entering the dating game. This means active young people who pretty much live on the internet and cannot imagine their own lives without it. This tells us that in the future the number of real world acquaintances will decrease. This trend has already been observed for more than a year, but soon it will become even more pronounced.
But let’s move on to that Tinder report!
More honesty and clarity in dating, video dates and more joint activities
Tinder once again emphasized that the Covid-19 pandemic was a very strong impetus for the development of online dating. It was it that helped many people to take a fresh look at web dating. This led to users becoming more honest and open. Thousands of people completed the “Show yourself” challenge during this time by making their profiles more open, honest and sincere. The pandemic is over, but the trend remains, and that’s definitely a plus!
At the same time, users began to approach dating and dates more consciously. This is evidenced even by user profiles. For example, Tinder notes that the phrase “wear a mask” in profiles became 100 times more common during the pandemic, the word “borderlines” 19%, and “consent” by 11%. And according to the research of Pulse Dating in a Post-COVID World, up to 17% of survey participants spoke about precautionary measures before an in-person meeting. What’s more, 16% asked for consent to physical touch.
All this indicates that in the future such precautionary measures and conversations about consent to certain actions will become much more common. This is also a plus, because dates will become more safe and comfortable.
Generation Z has turned its attention to video chat
To date, over 50% of active Tinder users are zoomers. And about half of the entire audience of the dating service during the pandemic communicated with other users via video. 40% continue to do so even now the pandemic is over.
This is a very important point, because it’s video communication that allows you to form a more accurate and objective picture of a person. According to the Tinder report, this is really important for zoomers because they pay special attention to the following qualities in a person:
- loyalty — 79%
- respect — 78%
- open-mindedness — 61%
- appearance — 56%
You can see that a significant part of the qualities in this list simply could not be objectively assessed via text messaging. Therefore, zoomers are increasingly communicating via video. Moreover, not only using Tinder and its rivals, but also in random video chat, which in recent years has also been rapidly gaining momentum.
Let’s take a look at some popular chatroulettes that have expanded their audience significantly over the past couple of years:
- Omegle — one of the first random video chat sites in history, which has been running since 2009 and is still very popular today. Omegle video chat allows you to filter users by country, as well as use a list of interests for more accurate searches. But there’s no gender filter, which can cause some inconvenience.
- Holla — online video chat platform and a good alternative to Omegle for those who need to filter by gender and country. In addition, Holla has a built-in message translator, which makes it much easier to overcome the language barrier and communicate comfortably with foreign speakers.
- OmegleAlternative.com — an excellent video chat with girls for men. It has a flawlessly effective gender filter. But Omegle Alternative has other advantages too: a built-in message translator, a great moderation and support service.
- Roulette.Chat — pretty simple random video chat that gives you several different gender search filters. You can choose not only Man or Woman, but also M+F Couple, Girlfriends or Group. It expands the boundaries of communication very well.
- Minichat — free video chat with strangers where you can also filter people by gender and location. Chat is very simple and clear, so it can be recommended even to beginners who have never used Omegle and its rivals.
Obviously, interest in video communication will continue to grow, as it is currently the closest online communication can get to face to face interaction. Perhaps in the foreseeable future it will be replaced by VR technologies and metaverses, but so far this has not happened, and it’s unlikely to happen very soon.
Online dating is getting more inclusive
Gen Zers have been challenging long-held views about sexuality, gender, ethnicity, culture and geographic boundaries for years. Polyamory, monogamy, and the emergence of “situationalness” in online dating and relationships are drawing so much attention for a good reason.
For zoomers, the personality of the person is important first of all. 80% of Tinder members surveyed say they’ve been on a date with someone of a different nationality. And more than half agree that they are open to dating and relationships with people with disabilities or neurodivergence. 66% of those surveyed say that Tinder and other dating services allow them to meet more people outside of their circle of friends, and meet people they would never have met under other circumstances. In addition, it’s on the internet that representatives of the LGBTQIA+ community feel most secure.
Relationship expert and matchmaker Paul Brunson commented: “On Tinder, the LGBTQIA+ community is currently the fastest growing group. And the number of people identifying as non-binary has increased by 104% over the past year. Generation Z’s acceptance of differences and their inclusive approach to gender and sexuality are the driving forces behind the new era. They are the ones who pave the way for future generations to accept themselves and live a better life.”
A few words about technology
Technology is rapidly changing the way people meet. Representatives of the under-30 age group use the internet and gadgets almost continuously. More than half of young adults say they’ve been in a relationship with someone they’ve met on Tinder. And 37% say they’re in that relationship right now.
At the same time, many Gen Zers argue that technology has become too redundant and doesn’t always meet their needs. Now the younger generation is excited about the possibilities of using artificial intelligence in dating and other areas of human life. About 34% of those surveyed said they used AI tools to make their profile in the dating service more attractive and interesting.
It’s quite possible that the next few years in internet dating will turn out to be the years of artificial intelligence. After all, if a year ago discussions of AI technologies were in the obscure margins of the internet, today they are being talked about literally everywhere. And it is becoming increasingly difficult to find a niche in which artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies will not be applied. Online dating is no exception.
In conclusion, we want to say that it does not matter which dating service you use. Much more important are your real goals and the initiative you take. Technology will indeed change very quickly in the foreseeable future. But the basic principles of dating will remain the same. If you dream of meeting your soulmate, you’ll have to take the initiative, and not hope for a lucky coincidence to land in your lap. We’re sure you will succeed in this task!
