One of the best feelings to get together with your besties on brunch, enjoy tea about your love life, and share hookup stories. Remember to gush about cute coffee dates or even confess your recent romantic fumbles. You might have taken to TikTok and jumped on the uber-viral ” dating wrapped” trend, in which many people shared reviews of their dating and sex lives throughout 2022.
That viral TikTok trend gets 36.1 million views and still counting. This year has been wild for dating, but that cuffing season and the year at large are ending. So it’s time to look toward the future.
Hey, singles, avoid getting stuck with the past time. You may be expecting to take over the dating scene in 2023. Here we have curated all the juicy deets from all the foremost dating app experts.
Many starters and daters are looking towards possibility and positivity in 2023, leaving the insecurity and confusion of the past few years behind, according to Plenty of Fish’s dating expert Kate MacLean. “From 2020 through 2022, singles are shifted their approach to dating, largely due to factors tied to the pandemic,” She added, “As we begin to put the pandemic behind us, we’re seeing how singles are redefining dating in order to make more real, authentic connections.” And with skyrocketing self-confidence among singles, dating in 2023 will be all about “main character energy,” notes MacLean, as people become “more certain about deal-breakers and their self-worth.”
But that’s not what singles can expect from the new year. Ahead, dating app experts share the top six dating trends they predict for 2023.
1. Budget-conscious dates
Budget-conscious dates – Source: forgettingfairytales.com
While it began to fall in late 2022, daters might still dread looking at their bank account after dinner and drinks. Because of this, experts from several dating apps predict that the number of money singles is inclined to spend on dates is declining. For instance, an anonymous spokesperson from Bumble shares that 28 percent of users polled say they are beginning to get clear on their financial limits when it comes to dating. A whopping 57 percent shared that they prefer a more low-key and less costly date than something over-the-top fancy.
MacLean from Plenty of Fish agrees, sharing that 48 percent of Millennial and Gen Z singles offered more reasonable date ideas than flashy ones. It looks like singles are into savvy saving, so don’t be surprised if you find yourself going dutch on a coffee date or DIYing a romantic dinner for two with a picnic in the park.
2. Non-monogamy
When you’re single, staying open-minded to different types of relationships can broaden your dating pool and open you up to possibilities you might have forgotten otherwise. So keep that mind open in 2023, and you’ll be in a suitable company. Fifteen percent of Gen Z Hinge users and 15 percent of those who identify as LGBTQ+ report that they’re researching their dating choices or are open to non-monogamy, according to Logan Ury, Hinge’s director of relationship science.
Bumble user data indicates the same, with 16 percent of the app’s respondents saying they’re now open to digging non-monogamy for the first time. Shan Boodram, Bumble’s sex and relationship expert, predicts that as our society slowly adjusts to sex positivity and more open conversations around sex and relationships, this trend is bound to continue through 2023 and beyond.
3. Women are making the first move
woman-proposing-a-man – Source: eviemagazine.com
As we are into 2023 and leave this less-than-favorable year for women behind, it seems only fitting that ladies around the globe are taking their power back—especially when it comes to dating. While apps like Bumble have been inspiring women to make the first move for a while, this year, in particular, has seen a significant uptick in female-identifying users exhibiting that behavior on other platforms. Moreover, because of the tangible benefits women see when they shoot their shots first, the trend will likely continue into 2023.
This year on OkCupid, “more than eight in 10 women said they would send the first message, and it’s benefiting these women,” says Michael Kaye, dating expert and head of global communications at the app. “Women who said they tend to send the first message get 55 percent more likes and almost 60 percent more matches than those who don’t, and conversations initiated by women last longer than those started by men.” So, go ahead and press send!
4. Simple and classic dates are rising
While you’ve probably received the “Wanna grab a drink?” message more often than not on dating apps this past year, experts at several of the apps predict that dry dates will be all the rage in 2023.
A vast majority—75 percent—of Hinge users report that they no longer prefer first dates that involve drinking but rather shared activities that can boost a sense of relationship and allow them to genuinely understand the other person, according to experts at the dating app. The team at Tinder found a similar trend, with 72 percent of their users noting that they don’t drink or only do so sometimes on their profiles. In fact, the use of beer and wine emojis decreased significantly in Tinder bios in the last year as well. Cheers to that… but maybe over coffee instead.
5. Situationships are getting better
Situations are getting better – Source: economictimes.indiatimes.com
As we are into 2023 and leave this less-than-favorable year for women behind, it seems only fitting that ladies around the globe are taking their power back—especially when it comes to dating. While apps like Bumble have been inspiring women to make the first move for a while, this year, in particular, has seen a significant uptick in female-identifying users exhibiting that behavior on other platforms. Moreover, because of the tangible benefits women see when they shoot their shots first, the trend will likely continue into 2023.
This year on OkCupid, “more than eight in 10 women said they would send the first message, and it’s benefiting these women,” says Michael Kaye, dating expert and head of global communications at the app. “Women who said they tend to send the first message get 55 percent more likes and almost 60 percent more matches than those who don’t, and conversations initiated by women last longer than those started by men.” So, go ahead and press send!
6. Importance of Emotional vulnerability
As the saying goes, there is strength in vulnerability, and the past year of dating has paid off for men in particular. Toxic masculinity is totally still a thing. It seems that 2023 will see a continuation of men facing their harmful traits head-on and learning to process their feelings and express themselves; a spokesperson at Bumble shares that 74 percent of male users worldwide have said they’ve examined their own manners and now have a better experience than ever of toxic virility.
The majority of men (52 percent) on Bumble are starting to combat the idea that they shouldn’t show disadvantage by showing their emotions, according to user data. Beyond dating app convos, 38 percent of male Bumble users have started talking more openly about their feelings with other men.
And on Hinge, 93 percent of users look for emotional vulnerability in a partner, and 61 percent rank emotional vulnerability as more vital to them than things like income, height, or even attractiveness.
It’s time to swap out sharing your height in your bio with sharing your love language! So what? It’ll work—just wait and see in 2023.
