Tinder Predicts ‘Summer Of Love’ in Future Dating Report

Tinder has published a report containing some predictions about what the future of dating might look like. It took data collated over the past 12 months to see what trends might emerge over the next decade.

2020 was the busiest year for user activity on Tinder, largely led by the COVID-19 pandemic and a resulting growth in general social discovery. 

A reported 60% of users accessed the app because they felt lonely and wanted to connect with new people, something that was nearly impossible to do in the real world.

Unsurprisingly, the data covered the rise of virtual dating and singles’ plans to continue going on video dates after the pandemic ends. This will be led by Gen Z, as 40% want to engage in a digital activity to initially feel out their match, such as ordering takeaway food or playing an online video game together.

However, the biggest trend that Tinder anticipates over the next few years is the potential for daters to be more open and honest.

Users have recently felt comfortable listing their insecurities on profiles, perhaps buoyed by a collective feeling of uncertainty across the world. Mentions of the words ‘anxiety’ and ‘normalize’ grew substantially on Tinder bios and Gen Z is known for being a generation that highly values authenticity.

While digital dates are still going to be a big part of the journey, when it comes to meeting in person, the company expects singles will be creative about what they do on a first date. Bars and restaurants could be overtaken by activities like roller skating, as matches look to get to know each other, rather than just break the ice.

Finally, Tinder predicts that a ‘Summer Of Love’ is coming as half of Gen Z have spent the last year stuck at home with their parents and without any form of social life. There is also an increase of ‘vaccine’ and ‘go on a date’ mentions in bios, which shows singles are excited to get back out there.

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