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Are you familiar with: Apocalypsing. Breadcrumbing. Love bombing. Hardballing. FOMU (that’s ‘fear of meeting up’). Anyone who’s been navigating the world of online dating during the pandemic may already be familiar with some of these dating trends. Lockdown has changed the dating landscape for many single people. 2020 was a weird one for those playing the dating game. Meeting someone the old-fashioned way finally died a death, ‘virtual dating’ became a legit thing and with all the social distancing, casual meet-ups are off the table too. Whether you’re a ‘New Dawn’ Covidator or simply looking for love online, here are some things to look out for.

Hardballing

(not messing around) Hardballing is all about knowing what you want, going for it, and not accepting anything less than that. Over 46% of people surveyed on Bumble said they are looking for something serious after experiencing loneliness during lockdown. And 38% of users said they felt more confident in saying what is and what isn’t right for them in their dating life. That means they have absolutely no time for the ghosters and breadcrumbers of the world, and that is something we can all get on board with.

Slow Dating

Slow dating is exactly what it sounds like: people taking the time to get to know each other and build a connection before deciding if they want to pursue the relationship or meet in person. Thanks to lockdowns and quarantines, around two in five people are taking longer to get to know someone and have used this time to think critically about what they want in a relationship.

Apocalypsing

As defined by the folk over at Plenty of Fish, is when you treat every relationship like it’s your last and getting super serious with someone you’ve just started dating. Think of your pal who’s proclaiming someone’s ‘the one’ after a few dates, or the one who’s already having serious conversations about the future after a couple of weeks. This is, obviously, not a brand new behaviour. But apocalypsing has run wild over the past year, thanks to lockdown restrictions and the general world dread of the coronavirus pandemic.

Breadcrumbing

is when you lead someone on romantically through social media or texting. Think Hansel and Gretel being tempted onwards to their doom by the witch. It basically means they’re stringing you along, but with the help of modern technology. The breadcrumbs are the messages you send in order to keep someone interested in you, even if you don’t actually like them or have any romantic interest in them. Some people might breadcrumb deliberately to keep you hanging on, but most people aren’t entirely conscious of their behaviour.

Locdating

A recent study has found that more people are now inclined to date locally (48%), and want to date in the area they live and are comfortable in. That’s because there has been a 46% increase in anxiety levels as a result of the pandemic. This can help take the pressures off big dates with someone who lives in an area too far away from you. And we all know that a walk in the local park with a hot chocolate is a great way of getting to truly know someone. Just not right now, it’s not permittted.

Love bombing

is when someone throws oodles of affection, compliments and time your way, indicating that they’re head over heels for you – but they’re not genuine. A love bomber will be doing this to try and win over your trust and to get you to commit, so that they can manipulate you. Unfortunately, these are very difficult to spot. Some ‘matches’ may just be genuinely giddy about you!

New Dawn Covidators

One in five Bumble users in the UK have said they joined after ending a committed relationship as a result of the pandemic. While many are entirely new to dating apps and understandably anxious about dating right now, joining the app is the first bold and brave step to take in getting back into dating – we say - go for it!

Best Dating sites for 2021

Eharmony

Best for: serious relationships Free membership (limited) 5 million users in the UK

eharmony.co.uk

Match.com

Best for: getting back out there Free membership (limited) 3 million users in the UK

match.com

EliteSingles

Best for: educated singles in their forties Free membership (limited) 13 million users worldwide

elitesingles.co.uk

Silver Singles

Best for: Over 50’s - looking for love Free membership (limited) 70,000 users in the UK

SilverSingles.co.uk

Bumble

Best for: empowering women Free membership 22 million users worldwide

www.bumble.com