With a new year, comes a new dating scene. And boy, it looks like it’s going to be an interesting one.
Ditch all thoughts of speed dates or cuffing season – this year, daters are set to put aside their phones, minimise their time online and look for deeper, more genuine connections with the people they see. Or, of course, connect over their niche hobbies, such as a penchant for sci-fi and aura-matching.
With London boasting five times more singles than couples, according to the dating app Feeld, there’s no better place to get stuck into everything (no pun intended).
We unpack some of the biggest trends below.
Aura-matching
Ommm. But really, it’s less woo-woo than it sounds. According to Breeze’s Chief Dating Officer Marsha Goei, one of the biggest dating trends set to emerge this year is the desire to “be true to yourself and seek genuine connections.”
Wave farewell to the ultra-curated spaces of online dating apps. What this means is less casual hook-ups, and more meaningful, in-depth dates. We’re hunting for deeper conversations and finding people we’re compatible with. And, to be fair, a few sessions to establish if your auras match couldn’t hurt either.
This hunt for long-term compatibility is far from unusual: according to Bumble, 95 per cent of singles say that worrying about the future is shaping who they date. Women are prioritising stability and emotional reliability in partners, as well as pushing for deeper conversations about things like budgeting, housing and climate change (fun!) earlier.
(Bumble)
Deep listening
Leading on from the auras is the rise of ‘deep listening’. What’s that, I hear you cry. Well, it’s people putting their phones away and being fully engaged in the moment during their dates. That means no distractions and focussing on creating a deeper connection with the other person via asking questions, understanding their perspective and showing interest in what they have to say.
The fact that this is even a trend is beyond depressing, but factors into Breeze’s overall dating trend of going ‘beyond the screen’: putting phones away, minimising our time on dating apps and spending more time with people in person.
DWM (Date With Me)
On the other hand… why put your phones away when you could make content from your love life? 41 per cent of singles, according to Bumble, love sharing and reading about the highs and lows of dating.
Some content creators are going as far as to live-stream break-ups, which… yikes. And while we don’t need to go as far as that, almost half of British women have said that watching people discuss their experiences online has inspired healthier relationship goals, helped them spot red flags and helped induce optimism about their own love lives. So… pros and cons?
(Bumble)
Celibacy
Dating… and celibacy? Well, according to Feeld, the two go together surprisingly nicely. Celibacy is cited as the fastest-growing desire on the app, having shot up by a whopping 235 per cent over the last year.
“Recent conversations around celibacy have revealed the role it plays in people’s lives and how this choice can be perceived,” the platform wrote when it launched the option on its app. “With that, Feeld has always been about exploring yourself beyond external expectations. It’s about having breathing room to change, evolve, and grow into your you-est you.”
Romance isn’t dead
According to Bumble, romance is back. 58 per cent of British women call themselves romantics, and 44 per cent say that the lack of it in relationships has hurt their dating lives. This doesn’t mean we need to embrace big gestures; quite the opposite. In fact, this year will see the rise of the ‘micro-mance’: expressing your feelings through small gestures like sending memes, a playlist or doing morning coffee walks. Are you taking notes?
Quirky is key
(Bumble)
According to dating app Bumble, hobbies like fandoms, book clubs and niche sports are fast becoming the best way to find like-minded people in a crowded market. Think micro-communities and fandoms (Taylor Swift and Charli xcx, unsurprisingly, dominate) and discussing our love of cold plunges, fantasy fiction and padel.
60 per cent of UK singles say that unique interests are key to attraction: it’s all about authenticity. So it’s probably no surprise that sci-fi has become a stand out trend within the trend. This has been cited as a top interest by Feeld’s members – and also happens to be the fastest growing section among the app’s bisexual community.
“In a world of rapid political-technological change, with rising inequality, populist politics, seeping wars, environmental degradation, and corporate enthusiasm for robots for generative AI, people are turning towards Sci-Fi as a source of hope or to explore possible alternatives,” the platform said. Sure.
Androgynosexuality
This was cited as the fastest-growing sexuality on the Feeld app, seeing a 250 per cent increase in popularity over the last year. What does it mean?
Well, the LGBTQIA+ Wiki defines being androgynosexual as “a person who has sexual attraction exclusively towards androgynous individuals or androgynes.” Or, it adds, “someone who is attracted to both men and women, particularly those with an androgynous appearance.”