Covid-19 and the use of Dating Apps
Department of Family Relations and Human Development
University of Guelph
FRHD 2100: Development of Human Sexuality
Dr. Kukkonen
Nov. 9th, 2022
, 2
Dating apps can be great online resources used to connect with people and talk to
potential partners as one can initiate interest by simply giving a "swipe". Although dating apps
have been around for some time, they used to be seen as taboo or desperate, but now, they have
become more normalized than ever (Halliday, 2016). The concept of dating is based on building
connections, however, when the recent Covid-19 global pandemic put the world on lockdown,
there was limited opportunity for people to be able to build connections. The pandemic led to a
new normal of social distancing and wearing a mask, which ultimately changed how humans
interact with one another. People had to find alternatives to fill this social void and adapt to this
change. Therefore, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the use of dating apps because of the
increase of people wanting to stay healthy, needing a coping mechanism, and desire to act
recklessly.
Firstly, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the use of dating apps in order to limit in-
person contact to decrease the risk of spreading and contracting the Covid-19 virus. When the
pandemic first began in March 2020, it was a scary time as no one knew the severity of this
virus. With public health safety measures put in place, many people abided by these restrictions
because going out on dates and meeting new people was not worth the risk of infection from the
virus and further spreading it to loved ones (Duguay et al., 2022). However, for many people,
social distancing didn't put an end to their dating life, it just made it virtual (Duguay et al., 2022).
Virtual dates involve doing typical date activities, except rather than physically being with your
date, you are connected virtually through the use of technology (Duguay et al., 2022). For
example, it could be ordering takeout and eating it together over a zoom call while watching the
same movie together at the same time. Dating apps quickly adapted to this change as they
developed their technology by integrating video chat and voice memos into their app to give
Department of Family Relations and Human Development
University of Guelph
FRHD 2100: Development of Human Sexuality
Dr. Kukkonen
Nov. 9th, 2022
, 2
Dating apps can be great online resources used to connect with people and talk to
potential partners as one can initiate interest by simply giving a "swipe". Although dating apps
have been around for some time, they used to be seen as taboo or desperate, but now, they have
become more normalized than ever (Halliday, 2016). The concept of dating is based on building
connections, however, when the recent Covid-19 global pandemic put the world on lockdown,
there was limited opportunity for people to be able to build connections. The pandemic led to a
new normal of social distancing and wearing a mask, which ultimately changed how humans
interact with one another. People had to find alternatives to fill this social void and adapt to this
change. Therefore, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the use of dating apps because of the
increase of people wanting to stay healthy, needing a coping mechanism, and desire to act
recklessly.
Firstly, the Covid-19 pandemic has increased the use of dating apps in order to limit in-
person contact to decrease the risk of spreading and contracting the Covid-19 virus. When the
pandemic first began in March 2020, it was a scary time as no one knew the severity of this
virus. With public health safety measures put in place, many people abided by these restrictions
because going out on dates and meeting new people was not worth the risk of infection from the
virus and further spreading it to loved ones (Duguay et al., 2022). However, for many people,
social distancing didn't put an end to their dating life, it just made it virtual (Duguay et al., 2022).
Virtual dates involve doing typical date activities, except rather than physically being with your
date, you are connected virtually through the use of technology (Duguay et al., 2022). For
example, it could be ordering takeout and eating it together over a zoom call while watching the
same movie together at the same time. Dating apps quickly adapted to this change as they
developed their technology by integrating video chat and voice memos into their app to give
