This story was first published in April 2020. Some details may have changed since.
We are lovers in a dangerous time. Thanks to the coronavirus, millions of people are now navigating the dating world in a society defined by social distancing, working from home and virtual hangouts.
Online gay dating hasn’t stopped amidst the coronavirus pandemic – so here are some tips for enjoyable meet-ups with new people online, and via video chat, from the safety of your own home.
In light of the recent government requirements around coronavirus (COVID-19), it’s not currently possible to go on real-life dates. However, just because we’re all practicing social distancing, it doesn’t mean that we can’t be social online. Now more than ever, connecting and communicating is of vital importance.
All you need to do is claim your FREE 6-month membership and register a profile, write a bit about yourself and your interests, add a photo and then see who “matches” you.
Once you’ve found some people you’d like to connect with, (or even date!) there are lots of different ways you can start getting to know people online whilst social distancing is in place… Here are some ideas for you, once you’ve made the leap and decided to swap numbers…
Have a virtual coffee
Meeting up for a coffee is a first date favorite, giving you the opportunity to have a brief one-to-one without the pressure of signing up to spending hours together. Using a video calling app such as Whatsapp or Facetime you can sit down together with a cuppa and have a nice chinwag. The latte might not be as good as you’d get in your favorite cafe, but you’ll have a great opportunity to get to know each other a bit better.
Watch a film together
Watching a film together is a great early date, because it gives you something to focus on and talk about that isn’t each other. This removes the pressure and eases nerves so you can relax in each other’s company. Normally we’d suggest a trip to the cinema, which isn’t possible at the moment, but luckily we live in the age of streaming so there are plenty of great films online for you to share. The Google Chrome extension Netflix Party makes streaming together easy by syncing playback and giving you the option to add a chat window.
Make dinner together
You can’t cook for one another in real life so why not make the same meal at the same time and eat together? Access to the shops is limited so it might have to be a basic pasta and sauce, but the experience of doing something together will be as lovely as ever. And if you’re competitive types, you can see which one turns out best and try to top the other person’s meal next time.
Dating apps have certainly seen an increase in the desire to connect virtually over the last several weeks since lockdown. More than ever, having someone to talk to can make a world of difference. Daily messaging activity across the United States has risen by 10 to 15 per cent among the app’s American users. While we are socially distant, we definitely aren’t disconnected.
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Have you found the right one, or are you still searching?
