BOISE, Idaho (CBS2) — Many people are struggling with dating and meeting people during the pandemic, but one local counselor said online dating may be a good option for people looking to find that special someone during the pandemic.
Statistica did a study in April of 2020, to see if online dating app users are using online dating app services more or less amid the pandemic. They found out of 131 respondents, 22% are using the apps much more, 31% are using the apps somewhat more and 21% are using the apps somewhat less.
“I do think it makes sense that people are going more online to find a long-term relationship or hookups or all of those things during the pandemic, probably more than they normally would," Wendy Barth, a licensed clinical social worker said.
Barth said even before the pandemic, online dating was becoming more prevalent in the couples she works with.
“It's one of those things that has been getting consistently more and more popular probably since the ’90s and a good 25% of the couples I work with have met through online dating and I think even more so are LGBTQ couples, because their dating market is a little bit easier to access that way,” Barth said.
Barth said there could be an advantage to online dating.
"The people that I have talked to, who have met online, were able to hone in the exact kind of person that they wanted to meet, and that was narrowed down and they had an opportunity to talk to each other via text or really get to know each other ahead of time before a real date might even have an advantage over some people who run into each other at a bar," Barth said.
Barth said people who meet online may have an easier time finding people they are compatible with.
"The compatibility factor I think is big when you meet online and you kind of know what you are getting, or at least you hope so," Barth said.
Barth said regardless if people meet in-person or online, humans naturally want to make connections.
"Whether people are doing this online through the dating apps, or they are just going out there trying to meet somebody, most of the time it's about, I really want to find that person who is important to me, who is going to stick with me, I can count on them and they are going to be my person,” Barth said.
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