By Mary Welch, For the Atlanta Journal Constitution – June 1, 2020
Many feel the ongoing health crisis has changed how we look for love.
Derr, dating during the pandemic quarantine has been weird. “It’s more stressful meeting on FaceTime than at a coffee shop. I know I have a missing piece in my life, not having someone, but at what cost? I’m a hopeless romantic, and maybe trying to find someone during the pandemic might improve my life — or wreak havoc.”
A few blocks away Sarah Abawi credits the pandemic with finding love — or at least fast-tracking it — and then losing it. She had friends who always wanted to fix her up with a man who lived in Dallas, but the timing was never right. Just before the virus hit, both were single, and he was coming to Atlanta from Dallas to meet their mutual friends and her. When his trip was canceled, they starting Facetiming, and for several weeks, he was quarantined in her in-town home. “If it weren’t for the pandemic, we’d be in two cities but now we have the flexibility to work from home — my home.”
Dating Has Changed
Admittedly dating is hard — period, but the quarantine has drastically altered the dating landscape. For one, people don’t feel as comfortable going into crowded shoulder-to-shoulder bars or clubs. How about those subtle —or not so subtle — flirtatious signs? They are much harder to detect over Zoom.
“Those dating cues are missing. You’d [typically] touch the guy’s arm or do a quick hug. … [Do] you say goodbye with an elbow tap? I did that with one date. With a mask you can’t really see him smile,” says Janet Schultz, a 57-year-old who came out of a long-term relationship. To make matters worse, the six-foot distance rule presents additional challenges. “Some of the men I’ve dated are in their ’60s, and they have hearing issues. With social distancing, they can’t hear what you’re saying!”
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