Turns out that a shitload of singles plan to date in the metaverse before meeting their beau in person.
Virtual love
With the ongoing reliance on technology for social connections, many singles are considering the potential for fully virtual relationships in the coming year. Welcome to the metaverse of love.
This is according to a recent study conducted by Dating.com.
So how will this look? A significant portion of these singles want to use avatars to facilitate communication and digital intimacy before meeting in person.
33% of singles plan to pursue this type of “transitional dating,” placing a greater emphasis on virtual communication before physically connecting with a potential partner.
Where pure animal attraction fits into this is anyone’s guess. YOU ARE DOING IT WRONG PEOPLE.
According to the study, as the metaverse becomes more widely accepted as a means of connection, more and more people are open to forming relationships with singles who are far flung from their home cities.
The future genetic diversity this promises to throw up will have 23 and Me busy for years to come. And it is probably a good thing, some parts of the human gene pool are a little bit shallow. We are looking at you, Cairns. We need way more chlorine in that gene pool.
This shift towards a more global perspective on dating is likely driven in part by the increasing comfort that people have with meeting others through the metaverse and other online platforms.
This is excellent news for companies peddling VR gear, metaverse platforms, and airlines. Not so good to people who naturally smell great thanks to fantastic pheromones. You people will now have to rely on your personality, like ugly people do. Good luck!
Resolution dating and chucking
Singles are also planning to date according to the resolutions they make this New Year’s Eve. If their potential beaus can’t support their resolutions, their new lovers are getting chucked.
Yes, those bullsh*t promises to get rich, go to the gym, and live off-grid while munching spinach are now way more important than they used to be.
Maria Sullivan is the VP of Dating.com. “In the new year, singles will be focusing on building relationships that align with their New Year’s resolutions — we call this ‘resolution dating.’ In doing so, the goal is to find a partner that aligns with and supports your own personal goals — whether those are related to your career, fitness, hobbies or new skills that you want to learn.”
Values dating: Desperate times
These “values” are so important to singles that 57% of respondents said they had ended a relationship because of a misalignment in these areas.
60% reported that they would chuck a relationship if their partner hindered them from achieving their fitness, wellness, or career goals.
These “aspirational” individuals seem to be particularly focused on staying on track and making positive changes to their overall lifestyle, and they view finding a match who can help them achieve their dreams as an important step in this process.
So will these people looking for personal cheerleaders also support their partner’s goals as well? Daters, this means you have to support your potential partner as they attempt to adopt 37 cats and sail the world with them.
Inflation the loveblocker
Record-high inflation is making peasants of us all, and with the possibility of a recession, many singles are finding that their budgets are being stretched thin.
This financial situation is stopping people from being slutty. They are now saying that to save money, they want to focus on dating just one person at a time rather than going on multiple dates with multiple potential partners.
61% of singles are now doing hard monogamy to save money. It seems polycules are only for the rich (or formerly rich, in the case of the FTX polycule).
We will keep you up to date with all of the sexy metaverse news, so stay tuned.
