By Allison Sadlier // SWNS
New York office - 646-873-7565 / usnews@swns.com
As lockdown continues, people are craving intimacy and connection in isolation and some are going to extremes to get it.
Forty-two percent of Americans in relationships have downloaded a dating app since the start of COVID-19, according to a new study of 1,000 people in relationships not quarantining with their partner.
A shocking 52% of those with a partner have still signed up for dating websites in these unprecedented times.
The study of 1,000 single Americans and 1,000 Americans in relationships not quarantining with their other-half examined the realities of romance amid a pandemic.
That’s not the only way couples are stepping out ‒ a third of those in a relationship have reached out to an ex. Results revealed 37% of singles have attempted to reconnect with an ex as well.
The most common methods for getting in touch with old flames were Facebook (61%), WhatsApp (48%), Twitter (47%), and a phone call (46%).
People in relationships were 40% more likely to use Instagram to sneakily slide into an ex’s DMs than a single person.
The survey conducted by OnePoll on behalf of LELO revealed connecting with a former partner could very well lead to a backslide.
Of those single people who reached out to an ex, one in two say it re-ignited a flame with that person.
Respondents in relationships who are talking to an ex might be planning on making up since 54% say this new connection has them catching feelings again.
With so many people seeking the comfort of former lovers, it’s no surprise that two-thirds of all respondents confessed to feeling extra lonely during COVID-19 isolation.
Sixty-seven percent admitted social distancing has even increased their cravings for physical intimacy.
The desire for romance is so strong that many are even willing to lower their standards. Six in ten said they would talk to someone outside their “usual type” during this time of loneliness.
With in-person dates and bar meetups out of the question, people are turning to technology to find a love connection.
Two in five (42%) singles have downloaded a dating app or signed up to an online dating website (41%).
LELO’s Global Marketing Director Luka Matutinovic said, “It’s only natural people are missing the intimacy they had prior to the pandemic. All the things we took for granted are now conspicuously missing from our lives. The effect this has had on our society is most prominently visible in the new ways we seek out safe interaction and even in the “lowering” of our standards in dating. LELO has seen an increase in sex toy sales of over 185% compared to the same period last year and it’s only logical - with so much alone time, separated from our present and potential loved ones, many people decide to focus on the things they can control, such as their own bodies and their own pleasure.”
Nearly three in ten (27%) of singles have gone on a virtual date since the spread of COVID-19 in the US.
The average person thinks it’s acceptable to ask someone out on a virtual date three days after their first contact.
Three in four think virtual dates are good for human interaction but are not the same as in-person.
In an effort to look good for the virtual date, respondents are still making an effort to clean up their quarantine selves.
Half will be washing their face and hair before a virtual meet-up and two in five will dig up a fresh shirt for the occasion.
Matutinovic added, “There will be lasting consequences to this crazy period in our lives, but when it comes to sex and pleasure, hopefully, they will be good ones. With so many of us turning inwards and exploring our own bodies and sexual needs, we might end up being more comfortable with ourselves, our physical and mental needs. Who knows, perhaps the real dialogue about sexual wellbeing and the importance of self-acceptance when it comes to sex and pleasure finally finds its way into the mainstream. It’s a battle LELO has been fighting for years.”
Percentage of people surveyed that have...
- Downloaded a dating app
- Single: 42%
- In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 42%
- Signed up for a dating website
- Single: 41%
- In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 52%
- Gone on a virtual date
- Single: 27%
- In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 41%
- Reached out to an ex
- Single: 37%
- In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 33%
- Reignited a spark with an ex
- Single: 50%
- In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 54%
- Had a virtual date with an ex
- Single: 68%
- In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 65%
METHODS TO REACH OUT TO EXES
- Facebook 61%
- WhatsApp 48%
- Twitter 47%
- Phone call 46%
- Instagram 45%
- Email 43%
- Text messaging 42%
VIRTUAL DATE PREP
- Wash my face 53%
- Wash my hair 48%
- Put on a nice shirt 41%
- Brush my hair 36%
- Shave facial hair 34%
- Put on pants 33%
- Find good lighting 33%
- Clean my room/space 30%
- Test camera 29%
- Shave my legs 24%
