Dating Coaches Share The 3 Trends Everyone Should Hop On To 'Step Up' Their Game
Here’s Dating 101: the guide to meeting your future partner.
Pok Rie, Jayden Becker / CanvaPro Have you been looking for love in all the wrong places? Even relationship professionals acknowledge how difficult the dating landscape is.
NPR journalist, Alejandra Marquez Janse, spoke with two seasoned dating coaches who offered some interesting insight into what makes dating so difficult in our modern world and the specific trends you should employ to increase your odds at a “happily ever after.”
Two dating experts shared 3 trends that might help you navigate the dating landscape in a healthy and successful way.
At the end of the day, meeting someone is the least of your problems when it comes to navigating the dating scene. Oftentimes, people struggle with dating for a variety of other reasons — from not knowing what you want in a partner to battling with the fear of rejection.
Of course, social media and post-pandemic shockwaves are not helping things either.
Instead of focusing on the wealth of things that need to change or that you need to do to find a partner — simplify it. Follow one of the trends below, or simply go out into the world and talk to people. Sometimes, venturing out alone into the world is all you need to cross paths with your soulmate.
1. Look for speed dating events — they are quick, easy, and fun without the pressures of a traditional date
Speed dating is a safe, fun, and, most importantly, fast way to date a bunch of people at once. Instead of gearing up for a few dates a month — complete with the overwhelming anxiety, mirror hype-ups, and hours of “getting ready” each time — you simply prep for one event and go.
Damona Hoffman, a dating coach and the author of "F the Fairy Tale: Rewrite the Dating Myths and Live Your Own Love Story," explained to NPR, "You only have five minutes, so you can't make too much of it. I'm always telling my clients to give somebody the benefit of the doubt. If there's something interesting there, then explore that, and take a little more time with it down the road."
Fizkes / CanvaPro
While this dating practice tends to be considered a more “traditional” form of meeting people, the truth is it isn’t being utilized by younger generations. Well, at least until recently. Eventbrite found that speed dating events have surged over 63% compared to last year, claiming, “More singles are sick of the swipe and ready for action.”
2. Utilize AI technology to craft dating profiles and chat with matches to make finding a partner quicker and easier
Apps like Rizz — a tool that suggests responses for people on dating sites — are transforming the landscape before our eyes. Not only are AI apps like this, along with others that can help craft profiles and suggest dates, making it more accessible to go out but they’re also giving people the confidence to re-enter the space.
Maria Avgitidis, the CEO of Agape Matchmaking and host of the "Ask a Matchmaker" podcast, explained to NPR that "There is a way to use an AI to help people show their best selves," and it's not about creating a fake personality. It's about using the tools to help showcase your best self.
Photo: studioroman / Canva Pro
According to TIME, AI technology features are also making dating safer by detecting harmful, unsafe, or offensive messages between users.
Igor Khalatian, founder and CEO of Iris Dating, explained to the outlet how this technology can be revolutionary for people entering the dating scene.
“You all of a sudden have a genie who understands your taste… now that genie can scan, let’s say 100,000 people, and automatically shrink it to a smaller database of people you find attractive,” Khalatian said. Not only would this save you time and energy, but it also means you can forgo “choice anxiety” with a few simple picks.
3. Beyond first dates, consider 'living apart together' by exploring autonomy and individuality outside of traditional relationship standards
TikTok content creator Joanna Dahlseid shared that the “living apart together” practice has radically changed the well-being of her relationships for the better. “Say goodbye to feeling smothered, because that will never happen here.”
“You’re basically together, but you don’t live together. You love each other but don’t live together. You support each other… go out on dates… sleepover and then go home,” she explained. “There are some things that are a little tough… but right now it works really well for me.”
“It’s a beautiful thing called communication,” Dahlseid shared. It’s the key to cultivating a thriving relationship and also the key to expertly navigating this dating trend. “You have to get good at negotiating the rules [in a relationship] and then re-negotiate when it stops working… this is what I need in this season of my life.”
Instead of getting overwhelmed by the prospect of dating, just 'get outside' and start saying 'yes' to more in-person opportunities.
Brenna Berg took to TikTok to offer dating advice in a world of online communication. She explained that if you’re finding it difficult to meet people in the real world, follow her four-step guide for “weeding” out potential partners.
“You decide if you want to see them ever again,” she shared. “If you don’t — cool, don’t.”
At the end of the day, don’t let the overwhelming dating scene keep you from getting your toes wet. Look at every “date” as an opportunity to meet new people and experience new things. Not everyone will be your soulmate, and that’s okay.
Zayda Slabbekoorn is a news and entertainment writer at YourTango focusing on pop culture and human interest stories.