Online dating has become the safest option for many during times of pandemic, but a “two-dose summer” in Ontario means in-person meetings may also be ramping up.
As Ontario continues to develop its Roadmap plan to reopen, some will begin meeting potential partners in person.
In preparation for re-entering physical dating, many dating services are adding details about the pandemic to online profiles and bios.
Hinge, an online dating app, has incorporated a ‘vaccine status’ button option that prompts users to choose between ‘vaccinated’, ‘partially vaccinated’, ‘not yet vaccinated’ and ‘prefer not to say’.
Canadian Hinge users started seeing the vaccine feature appear in their apps last week, but many pandemic features on popular dating apps remain US- and UK-specific.
Hinge did not respond to multiple requests for comment for this story.
While disclosing this information is optional, other dating apps and services are following suit.
“It’s pretty amazing, really, that this has become something that two years ago wasn’t even on our radar,” says Linda Miller, CEO of Misty River Introductions. “Now it’s becoming, you know, one of the top two or three questions people ask when we match them with someone.”
Miller says her business is booming as many people appreciate relationships more after more than a year of isolation.
“It kind of took us back to where there’s a lot more courtship going on. And I think that’s great to see and it makes people value relationships more,” she says. “So instead of, you know, a steady diet of meeting a different person every week, people are taking things a little more seriously because they have to.”
Dating app Bumble took it a step further by allowing users to identify the types of dates they like.
“Bumble has seen a steady increase in the number of people who have included the word ‘vaccine’ or ‘vaccinated’ in their Bumble profiles since the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered in December,” says a Bumble spokesperson.
“Bumble also currently offers a COVID Preference Center right in the app, which allows the Bumble community around the world to indicate what kind of dates they are comfortable with — whether virtual, socially distanced, or with a mask.
Global News took to the streets of Kingston, Ont., to react to these changes:
“I think with online dating, you obviously pick and choose what parts of you you want to share with other people, and I think especially vaccination status is really important just to make sure you’re interacting with people that you’re comfortable with,” Rylee says. North.
“I don’t necessarily think anyone should be pressured to have their vaccination status there, but for me, personally, I know it would give me peace of mind to know where I’m coming from, to know where someone else is coming from. And I think that would make the transition to physical dating much easier.”
Ben Nethercott has noticed his friends starting to go out in person again.
“People are starting to come back to it, so I think this change is something very important,” he says. “When you’re online dating, you don’t really know who the person is until you meet them, and sometimes they don’t even match their image. But if they at least tell you their vaccination status, that adds a measure of safety, and you want to know if people are safe during the pandemic because there’s a lot going on.”
Now on Step 1 of Ontario’s Roadmap to Reopen, outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people are allowed.
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