Antonella Baccaro (photo by Carlo Furgeri Gilbert).
No.In 2021, spending by users of online dating platforms around the world grew by 30 percent over the previous year.
The obligation to stay at home during lockdowns, the extension of smart working, the restrictions for discos and public places have reduced the places for socializing. AND increased attendance at dating sites.
The good news, therefore, would be that the desire to meet has not diminished. It was not taken for granted, given that the mood of many, due to forced isolation, tends to depression and eases the desire to cultivate human relationships. But is it really so?
How has dating changed in these terrible two years? An article in the magazine suggests it The Atlantic titled: “The paradox of slow love“. Or, should we say, slowed down.
According to the authors, Anastasia Berg and Rachel Wiseman, the effect of the pandemic on relationships, given the difficulty and danger of meeting face to face, was that of lengthen the “sniffing” phase indefinitely.
You choose each other on the platforms, you start a conversation, then a long dribble starts in which almost all the themes that would require looking each other in the eye, experimenting with each other’s chemistry, evaluating the effect of touching each other are examined.
At the beginning of online dating the real meeting was accelerated by the need to verify that the photos of the personal profile corresponded to reality. But now, with the use of video calls, this obstacle seems to be overcome. However the conversation remains blocked on a virtual level.
«What may seem like a mature and caring approach to dating – observes the analysis – could instead be just another manifestation of anxiety: an overwhelming attention to maintaining control over one’s romantic life; (…) an attempt to protect oneself and never become a victim of circumstances. It could very well be that caution, far from being the key to a successful relationship, is itself an obstacle. ”
In short, if you are playing hide behind screens and words, you are ready for the Metaverse. Not for real love.
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