HOW DO YOU FIND LOVE IN THE MIDDLE OF A GLOBAL PANDEMIC?

Life as we know it has changed – with social distancing and curfews putting nights out on hold, we find out if romance is off the table, too

- Fiona Kinlock, Sarah Finley

These unprecedented times, caused by the COVID-19 crisis, have impacted practically every aspect of our lives. With the recent lockdown keeping families all under one roof, children being homeschooled and couples working from the kitchen table, life was – and still is – a far cry from what we knew some weeks ago. But what has been the impact of coronavirus on the life of singles? In a time where the usual dating hotspots of bars, restaurants, coffee shops and cinemas are closed, and social distancing is being legally enforced, you might have thought the pandemic would have put dating on hold indefinitely. However, determined in their quest for love, singletons have found new, creative ways to date during lockdown.

According to a Dating.com survey, a whopping 82% of singles have turned toonline dating – but we don’t just mean finding a virtual match, we mean actual online dating. Video-sharing platforms like Zoom, FaceTime and Houseparty are now ‘firstdate’ venues, connecting people while socially distancing. So, in this new dawn of dating, what is life really like for a singleton on lockdown? We investigate…

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