Dating is a big topic of conversation in our family with three of my adult children's love lives affected by the coronavirus crisis. One son is newly single, another has a budding relationship which has been stymied by lockdown and my daughter's long term boyfriend moved in when the restrictions were introduced. (AD)
Life is going to be very different for singletons in the post-covid world so how on earth is Cupid going to fire his arrows if everywhere has plastic screens and distancing rules stopping them hitting their mark?
Where Can I Meet Dates?
Pubs and clubs remain shut and when they re-open there may not be an opportunity to chat someone up at the bar as the consensus is that ordering of drinks and food will have to be done via an app.
At the moment Brits can't even easily fly to any foreign party hotspots so holiday romances look like a non-starter.
It can be a bit hit and miss (and somewhat dangerous) to randomly pick up potential partners anyway. Although I did meet my husband of almost 30 years in a field so it can sometimes work out. Probably the best and safest bet is to choose a dating site which caters for whatever it is you are looking for, whether that is a lifelong love or a swift cheeky hook-up.
How Will Dating Work with Social Distancing?
I know some dating sites have already made adaptations for a socially distanced world with video chat dates and even video speed dating an option.
There are benefits to this. Your hair won't be ruined by a rainstorm on the way to the date. You don't have to wear killer heels or worry about how you smell. And if you don't "click" you can make your excuses and leave a lot faster and you won't have wasted cab fare.
But nothing actually beats face to face contact where it can be easier to spot a spark of chemistry. And actually it might be nice to know the object of your potential affection doesn't have bad breathe or BO.
What Can I Do To Prepare for a Face to Face Date?
Here's a plan. Register now with a dating website and use what are hopefully the last few weeks of lockdown to work on transforming yourself onto the best you you can be.
Maybe that's by buying a new outfit or two, growing out the last of the lockdown home hair dye job or restarting the exercise regime which started well with Joe and fizzled away as your biscuit and gin intake increased.
Spend some time thinking about what attributes are really important to you. If he's an inch or two under your ideal height but ticks every other box surely it's worth meeting? And if she likes jazz and you prefer Oompah band music is that really a deal breaker if everything else looks good?
Be open minded and you might find your perfect date and start life in this new style world with a new partner by your side - albeit 2m away for the time being.