To say that the current global health crisis has affected our relationships and the way we connect with people is such an understatement.
People are wired to make intimate connections with other individuals. We were built for face-to-face, in-person interactions. But with physical distancing in place, it’s hard for us to go out and meet people the way we used to. The lack of communication and human contact this pandemic has brought has also dramatically affected the dating landscape.
However, that’s not to say that the effects are negative. In fact, there are a few upsides to the changes in the dating scene. For a disease of its kind, ironically, it has breathed new life to the way we handle dating and relationships.
We’re given more time to talk, albeit over video chats.
With everyone stuck at home, we now have all the time in our hands to talk and get to know each other better, even if it’s over video chats. Because of all the uncertainties that the pandemic has brought, people are now having more meaningful conversations about life.
Sure, it’s still a good way of finding out interesting things about the ones you’re “seeing.” Now would be a good time to talk about your background, how you were as a child, some of the embarrassing stuff you’ve experienced, what you think of permanent contraception such as vasectomy, your convictions and beliefs, and anything else you can think of.
What’s important is you take this time to really enjoy each other’s company, even if it’s just online.
Sex and money are no longer as prominent.
Sex and money are two of the things that can be stressful when you’re out on a date. You have to think about things such as who picks up the tab, if you’re going to kiss when the night is over, or how you’ll respond if you’re invited back to your date’s place.
The coronavirus has temporarily taken away that pressure off your shoulder. You no longer need to go and meet up at an expensive restaurant or cafe. There’s now no pressure to engage in any sexual activity after a date. While you can probably have a naughty sexually-charged banter over your video call, you don’t need to commit to any physical contact, at least for now.
We have more time for self-reflection.
The pandemic has also given us more time to look inwardly and examine ourselves, our intentions, and our motivations in dating at this time. People are now taking more time to gauge themselves and their situation, making wiser and well-informed decisions before taking the plunge.
The promotion of self-care over the past few months has led to people realizing that they need to take care of themselves first before they can take care of others. The drive to become better people for others is now greater than ever in all of us.
Things are taken slowly and steadily.
Over the past couple of decades, we’ve seen how the pace at which people dated has dramatically increased. We have gone a long way from the traditional courtship of the early 20th century to speed-dating, one-night-stands, and hook-ups of the early 21st century.
It’s nice to see that people are learning to take things slowly once again in the area of romance and love. There’s more time to get to know a person a lot better. This allows people to move beyond the romance into the deeper bonds that take place over time, making them more intimately connected with each other.
It is safe to say that once we’ve made it past this unusual challenge, people will go back to meeting in person. That’s just how we are. We are made to do courtship face-to-face. But while we’re still not there yet, it would be a good idea for us to learn to value these unexpected but very welcome changes to the way we do relationships. It might do a lot of us plenty of good in the long run.
