The transition from Online to Offline Dating After the COVID: Things you need to know

Online dating has become particularly popular during the pandemic, with more and more individuals being drawn to socializing online as nightclubs and bars have remained closed. COVID-19 has enhanced our need for social connection while making it more difficult to do so. With vaccines being rolled out, it does seem as if there is finally a light at the end of the tunnel. But how should you approach taking an online relationship into the offline world, post-COVID?

Establish common ground

Over a relatively short space of time – just over 25 years – dating has evolved beyond all recognition. Since the first digital matching services were launched in the mid-1990s, online dating has become a global phenomenon, an industry generating billions of dollars per year. These websites represent a convenient environment for finding out all about someone’s interests and hobbies - remotely. People engaging in communications via their desktop computers or smart devices can feel uninhibited, overwhelmed with enthusiasm when they are connecting with other singles sharing their passions and many online dating sites offer various types of personality testing and matching. This enables you to develop a much more fully-formed impression of someone’s character before meeting them ‘in the flesh.’ Once you’ve developed a rapport in this way, you can feel confident you’ll be able to forge a strong bond.

Conduct a risk assessment

Before the pandemic, the major issue with connecting with individuals you had no way of knowing anything about might have been fretting about their sexual history. In the modern world an equally potent source of apprehension is worrying about someone’s COVID experience. When you are chatting online, you’ll need to tease out information about any exposure to the virus. Have they received the vaccine? Does their employment or family background place them at greater risk of infection?

Don’t feel under any pressure

Not so long ago, individuals connecting virtually often felt obliged to arrange face-to-face meetings sooner rather than later. The thought process behind this urgency might be the notion that the longer someone’s dating profile remained in the public eye, the greater the chance of other site users feeling tempted to drop them a message and flirting. COVID has instilled a greater sense of caution. Since we have all been used to security measures like social distancing for many months, why not take advantage of this relaxation? Instead of rushing into dates based on a sense of potential chemistry, take the time to ensure the chemistry between you is tangible, and might well form the basis of a contended relationship.

Plan your initial encounters

With online dating, a moment will surely arise when there will be a mutual urge to take your relationship to the next level. Your conversations might already have centered on possible meeting places, based on the subjects you have been chatting about – favorite bands, the cuisine you enjoy, your preferred sporting activities, and so on. Pre-COVID, it was the easiest thing in the world to make the transition from virtual socializing to a liaison in an offline location, with a diverse range of outlets awaiting your attention. Now you need to be far more thoughtful and meticulous with your arrangements. You’ll have to ask questions such as, to what extent was a particular venue affected? Did it remain closed during lockdown; if not, what measures were taken to guarantee the clientele a safe experience? If you have a particular destination in mind, such as a restaurant, movie theater, or bowling alley, will you still require to wear masks, or be screened by door staff with temperature tests and so on?