What about meeting new people during the Covid-19 outbreak? The Internet is on it.
With text and information from Emma Taylor at Insider, The New York Times, and Axios.
In these strange times, a new type of relationship for those longing for companionship was bound to blossom. And a very of-the-moment romance trope has emerged virtually overnight: the couple brought together by quarantine.
Apparently a number of people out there are very into the idea that following Covid-19 precautions can double as a way of bringing them closer together—much, much closer.
Daniel, 25, was preparing for a first date. He fixed his hair in the mirror, put on his favorite dress shirt, made his bed (you never know), and sprayed a new cologne to set the mood. Daniel, who, like others in this story, asked to only be identified by his first name, grabbed his glass of wine and placed it next to the laptop on his bedroom desk. Then he took a seat, opened up Zoom (an app more commonly used for workplace videoconferencing), and a few seconds later, his Hinge match appeared onscreen. It was immediately clear that he and his date were not on the same page: she was in her pijamas.
A new kind of dating
Last week, single folks in the United States who’d been chatting on dating apps and laying the groundwork for in-person first dates could no longer ignore the specter of the coronavirus crisis. And over the weekend, as the CDC issued instructions to begin social distancing, typical first-date haunts—bars, restaurants, music venues—became no-go zones for non-idiots.
The alternative solution was imperfect but inevitable, really: Brave pioneers who didn’t want to give up on dating entirely pivoted to virtual meetups on video chat apps like Zoom, FaceTime, and Skype.
In Brooklyn, 27-year-old Judy Kwon spent a few days messaging a male suitor on a dating app. They scheduled a date to cook dinner together, which became unfeasible as Covid-19 morphed into a national emergency. Their initial video call was on Saturday; it was short, and leaned heavily on making funny faces to fill space. Then they talked again on Sunday. And again, for even longer, on Monday. On Tuesday night, they cooked separate meals, then FaceTimed while they ate dinner.
Judy admits it’s stressful not knowing when she’ll actually be able to meet a person whose virtual company has been a welcome respite.
Establishing a vibe
If you should feel inclined to schedule a Zoom date yourself, the recommendation is to stick with a computer rather than a phone. Also: There’s no need to overdress, but put some effort in, at least above the waist (out-of-sight sweatpants are totally acceptable). Choose a backdrop that shows off your interests or apartment aesthetic, and, yes, you should clean up.
Establish a vibe beforehand: Do you want to eat dinner together? Drink together? Watch a TV show together? A humble request: Please make sure you have good WiFi. Ultimately, I could never be with someone who doesn’t have really good WiFi.
For singles, this time of social distancing, weirdly enough, offers all the makings of the kind of meet-cute that rom-coms are made of, with lengthy conversations and intense longing. On one hand, it’s impossible to ignore the heavy fact that digital first dates exist specifically because we’re all living through a pandemic. On the other hand, that very heaviness can inspire more candid conversations and ultimately, an even deeper bond. Regardless, virtual dates present an opportunity to connect with someone, and for a brief period, provide them with a meaningful distraction.
Given the circumstances, distraction is a legitimately powerful weapon to pit against loneliness and despair.
