A new survey conducted by a dating app company suggests the top dating trends that it says will define dating in 2023.
To figure out the seven top dating trends, Bumble surveyed over 14,000 daters from all over the world. The results show that 70 per cent of respondents are feeling positive about their romantic future in 2023, according to the company, which describes itself as a women-first dating and social networking app.
The survey suggests that next year, dating will be more focused on challenging the norms and finding more balance.
鈥淚n 2023, we will continue to see how external factors 鈥� such as working remotely and the rising cost of living 鈥� will affect our dating behaviours. Additionally, I鈥檓 excited to see how people鈥檚 approach to dating will shift as many will challenge the status quo and find more balance in the way that they date,鈥� Shan Boodram, Bumble鈥檚 sex and relationship expert, said in a news release.
The survey suggests daters will be more open to different types of people and experiences in the coming year, and that some early conversations will revolve around specific topics.
These are the top dating trends, according to Bumble:
1. Open casting
This trend suggests doing away with having a physical 鈥渢ype鈥� because it can be restricting. One in three people are open to dating people beyond their type, and one in four are also placing less emphasis on dating people that others expect them to.
Bumble says that the majority of respondents (63 per cent) are now focusing on 鈥渆motional maturity鈥� rather than physical traits.
2. Guardrailing
Many people say they're feeling overwhelmed with the progression from pandemic-related measures to being back in the office and attending social events, which has app users re-evaluating their priorities, Bumble says. Its survey suggests 52 per cent of respondents are prioritizing the establishment of boundaries.
As per the survey, 63 per cent of respondents said they are focusing on being clear about emotional needs and boundaries, while 59 per cent have been more thoughtful and intentional about how they put themselves out there. More than half of the respondents (53 per cent) are aiming to not overcommit to socializing.
When it comes to Canadians, the study shows that 66 per cent of respondents stated that they are clearer a bout emotional needs, while 64 per cent are more thoughtful and intentional about how they put themselves out there.
3. Wanderlove
A third of Canadian respondents say that they are now more open to travel and relationships with people who are not in their current city.
With many still working from home, 14 per cent of global respondents say they've thought about moving around, which definitely could change the way they think about dating life.
4. New year, new me(n)/modern masculinity
As per the study, 74 per cent of male respondents around the world said they have examined their behavior more than ever and have a clearer understanding of what is not acceptable when dating.
As many as 38 per cent of men on Bumble said they now speak more openly about their emotions with their male friends and this figure increases to 42 per cent for Canadians.
5. Dating renaissance
According to the survey, 39 per cent of people have ended a marriage or serious relationship in the last two years. Of those, 36 per cent are now using dating apps for the first time to find another partner.
6. Ethical sex-ploration
More than half of global respondents (53 per cent) believe that sex is no longer taboo and agree that sexual wants and needs must be discussed early on in a relationship. This figure is rises to 57 per cent among Canadians.
Over the past year, 20 per cent of global respondents and 22 per cent of Canadians said have explored their sexuality more. In the meantime, 17 per cent of Canadians and 14 per cent of global respondents have considered a non-monogamous relationship, per the survey.
Bumble said the results don't mean people are necessarily having more sex. The survey found that 34 per cent of global respondents and 35 per cent of Canadians said that they are not having sex at all, and they are fine with it.
7. Cash-candid dating
The last trend is about money. Twenty-eight per cent of global respondents and 29 per cent of Canadians stated that they are setting financial boundaries in their dating lives, with 57 per cent of Canadians and 59 per cent of global respondents having said that they are more interested in casual dates than something fancy.
The survey was conducted between Oct. 12 and Nov. 1 using responses from 14,300 Bumble users.
Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.
