If anyone has been on a dating app in the recent past — be it Bumble, Tinder, Hinge, Boo or Grindr — you’d have noticed several trends that are more than visible on them — for example, how most youngsters aren’t too bothered about the outcome of a dating liaison anymore, or how values, morals and political stands mean more now than ever before . But one individual’s access to a certain number of profiles cannot give you a comprehensive overview of these changes you’ve perceived and so most of us wait — with bated breath — for these year-ender dating trends. Bumble released their list early last month and Tinder followed a week or so ago. We perused both lists in detail and here are five trends that caught our attention:
Val-Core Dating: Bumble reported that singles today are looking for shared priorities and expect their partners to not only care about social causes but to actively engage. Val-Core, as they’ve called the trend, refers to the rise of people valuing engagement on issues that matter to them. For 1 in 4 (25 percent) people on Bumble it is key that their partner actively engages with politics and social causes, in fact, it makes them more attractive. In fact, 41 percent of Indians, according to the app, say their potential partner engaging in politics and voting is important to them.
NATO Dating: Tinder reported that ‘Not Being Attached To An Outcome’ or NATO was a big YES. Young singles are focusing on the connection and are not attached to outcomes, Tinder maintains. In fact, over a quarter (27 percent) of 18-25-year-olds using Tinder’s Relationship Type feature say they are, ‘open to exploring,’ while 22 percent using the Relationship Goals feature said that they are, ‘still figuring it out.’ In India, more specifically, a similar trend emerged on the app where a quarter (25 percent) are, ‘open to exploring,’ and 65% are ‘still figuring it out.’
Intuitive Intimacy: Bumble also reported that for people today and particularly women, it seems attraction comes down to one key thing: emotional intimacy. Singles are focused on finding security, safety and understanding, with more than a third (35 percent) of people surveyed on Bumble in India believing that emotional intimacy is now more important than sex and that it’s actually more attractive than physical connection. When it comes to dating, 3 in 4 women (78 percent) say it’s key that their partner has an understanding of both emotional and physical intimacy.
Time Currency: Tinder went on to report that 51 percent of surveyed young singles said they were open to new ways of fitting dating around their daily schedules. Singles said they were not here to waste time this year. According to Tinder data, over 50 percent of young singles globally and in India using Tinder’s Love Styles feature say they prefer ‘time together’ over the other love styles.
Open-hearted Masculinity: Bumble then gave us our favourite trend of the year. When it comes to relationships, 1 in 4 (25 percent) men globally state that they have actively changed their behaviour, becoming more vulnerable and open with people they are dating than ever before. For a quarter of Indian men (26 percent), this new-found openness has had a positive impact on their mental health and for 37 percent Indian men a lack of vulnerability is now a dating deal-breaker.
APP-SPEAK:
“In 2023, we identified trends on travel romances, setting new boundaries, and dating outside your type. We know that cultural conversations around misogyny, women’s rights and social issues, that are intertwined with our dating lives, left many exhausted this year. This has impacted the way people want to date — people are feeling more empowered in their sense of self and seeking out people who value what’s important to them, whether it’s social causes, lifestyle choices or even their favourite sports. It’s exciting to see people are now increasingly looking inward and want to show up as authentic versions of themselves. We predict that 2024 will bring in a year of the self, with single Indians feeling more empowered than ever to prioritise what they value and what they will not stand for, leading to a new clarity about what they want in their romantic lives,” shared Samarpita Samaddar, communications director, Bumble India.
“It’s so exciting to see the data at Tinder shows that 69 percent of Gen Z want to challenge conventional dating and relationship norms. This year in particular marked a major shift where the journey is more important than the outcome. This new generation of daters is showing us what it means to date for the possibilities, freeing themselves from traditional expectations, allowing them to write their own, worthwhile stories,” echoed Melissa Hobley, CMO, Tinder.
romal@newindianexpress.com
@elromal