As we settle down into lockdown, not knowing how long it will last, it would seem as if love is temporarily on hold. Couples are being separated, a long-distance relationship is now basically anything that isn’t incest, and hook-up culture is really taking a backseat. However, dating hasn’t died, it has just changed. Here are a few ideas and predictions for the coming months.
If you are in a relationship, one of two things is happening: Either you are quarantined with your partner, or you’ve been separated and your relationship has suddenly become long-distance. If you’re quarantined with your partner, chances are that you’re probably getting on each other’s nerves because you’re cooped up all day. On the other hand, you get to have sex unlike long distance couples (so yay for you!). This may prove to be a golden opportunity to improve your communication skills as there is nowhere to run, and you realistically can’t sleep on the couch for months on end. This ultimately means that you are confronted with your problems and really have to work through them together. This time could prove invaluable for your relationship.
If you’re separated by the lockdown, then you are now living a long-distance relationship. I can imagine our generation in our old age: “Back in my day, the plague of 2020 forced us all into long-distance relationships. We couldn’t be flighty like you kids.” Luckily, we have technology to help us through. Many couples are phoning, Skyping, Facetiming or Zooming each other. You can have lengthy conversations, catch up on what each other’s day was like, and chat nonchalantly like you normally would. You could also play video games together, and Netflix even has an option for a ‘Netflix Party’, where you can both watch the same movie at the same time. So all is not lost.
These platforms are also proving useful for those who are casually dating or hooking-up. In fact, Tinder has recorded a surprising increase in users over the past few weeks. The Coronavirus appears to be an easy starting point for conversation. It seems odd that people are using dating apps now, considering that the lockdown means people can’t meet up anymore. However, other avenues of communication are available. A lot of people are now having dates via Facetime and, perhaps, there’s an advantage to Facetiming before actually meeting up. You can connect on an intellectual level before you meet in the physical. If it is more of a physical level you are looking for, then sending nudes, sexting and mutual masturbation are also available (for couples as well).
In a way, we’re sort of harping back to the past. Before the internet, every relationship that involved someone out of town was a long-distance relationship. Think of the famous relationship between Zelda and Scott Fitzgerald (the author of the Great Gatsby), whose love letters are among the most cherished in history. Or, think of the blossoming romance between the characters of Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan in You’ve Got Mail. Perhaps your next Tinder date could be a fairy tale for the digital age. Or, perhaps, you’re just looking to keep boredom at bay during lockdown. Whatever your reasons, quarantine is not the end of your love life, but merely the start of a different way of expressing your emotions and sexuality.