You could argue that human beings have been dating since the dawn of time. Ever since we first walked out of our caves, we’ve been trying to find partners to make our lives better.
Once this would’ve meant having someone else to help gather food, or to keep us warm during winter. Now it means having someone to take to your cousin’s wedding, or to show off on your instagram, which is perhaps even more important than food or warmth.
Even though the surface of how we date might have changed, much of our behaviour is dictated by unconscious drives and impulses we’ve developed through our evolution, things we picked up which helped the species survive millions of years.
We all have a need for connection, closeness, and companionship, and that isn’t going to change.
But the ways in which we look for that connection and companionship have changed dramatically. Dating has already gone through one revolution since the start of the 21st Century. Dating apps have fundamentally changed how we meet, date, and start relationships.
More people now meet online than through friends or work, and this is only set to increase over the coming years thanks to new technology.
While we now have more people on dating apps than ever before, how do we ensure that the quality of dates is as impressive as the quantity of people using them?
Artificial intelligence can improve the dating experience, giving people a more curated stream of profiles to interact with. Algorithms will become more refined, meaning matches will be more likely to hit it off.
The next revolution in dating may be able to help us find better partners, faster, more efficiently and successfully than at any other point in history.
How Dating Will Change In 2020 And Beyond:
Attitudes Towards Dating Will Continue To Shift
Attitudes towards dating have changed massively in just the last twenty years, due to societal change, technological progress, and alternative ways of dating being shown in the media.
Dating has slowly become more casual, thanks to less pressure to find a ‘perfect’ person and settle down.
Now that people have more freedom and control over their romantic lives, they’re taking more time to figure out what they really want from dating, which gives them greater insight into themselves, their needs, and what a happy relationship might look like for them.
Thanks to dating apps they can find whatever it is they’re looking for, and can change that over time if necessary.
Rising divorce rates and reported levels of unhappiness in marriage are highlighting that perhaps the way we’ve been raised to think about and idealise relationships isn’t healthy or realistic - and people are changing their dating habits to reflect that, with more people experimenting with their sexuality and non-monogamy.
We’ve seen certain stereotypes and stigmas around dating challenged, and these will continue to fade away as we move into the future.
Video Will Become More Important In Dating
Many dating apps offer video chat as a way for users to connect and learn more about each other.
Video chat is a more organic way for people to interact that sending messages back and forth, letting them talk, joke, and flirt in real time. These interactions don’t always translate well over text, so video is the perfect way to find out if you have chemistry before going on an actual date.
But video has far more potential, with some companies looking to bringing live-streaming to the world of online dating. It’s now possible to watch people streaming virtually every element of their lives, so it’s not surprising that this would soon extend to dating as well.
However, it’s possible that video may eventually be replaced by virtual reality, allowing us to date without ever leaving the house.
VR Dating
As we’ve known since the very first days of online dating, there’s a big difference between someone’s dating profile and who they are in real life.
One step further than video, dating through virtual reality will remove any ambiguity or uncertainty and let you know if there’s chemistry between the two of you straight away. VR is a more immersive experience, one that has huge potential to change the way we meet people online.
Voice intonation and body language can subtly alter how we connect with someone, and VR technology is rapidly becoming more sophisticated. Headsets allow for real-time visuals, even able to recreate facial expressions. Gloves and other accessories can provide haptic feedback to simulate the sensation of touch, another key factor in establishing intimacy.
Dating through VR is a lot less work than going on an actual date, and will allow people to meet each other safely.
It could also allow for dates we could never have in real life, like walking on the moon or through ancient cities.
AI Dating Assistants
One of the biggest problems facing dating app users is the overwhelming amount of choice available to them.
Artificial intelligence is currently being developed which will be able to filter through potential matches and show you people you’re most likely to connect with.
From there, AI systems would be able to coach you through the initial conversations, prompting you on topics, reminding you to reply to messages, or even helping you with what to say.
As new technology continues to be developed, dating apps will bring people together in new and unexpected ways.
What This Means For Dating And Romance:
Hearing how technology is changing the way we interact can sometimes sound unsettling.
But for all the new developments in how we meet and speak to people, the core needs behind that interaction are unchanged: we need people to share our lives and experiences with.
This may no longer mean we have to get married to someone we met when we were twenty, it may no longer mean we have to move in together, it might even mean we no we have to be romantically linked with just one person.
Our behaviours and preferences may change, but the underlying drives that motivate us to seek out romantic partners will remain the same for years to come.
Read more about the future of dating apps.
Learn about dating app features that help keep you safe.
