How to Date in a Global Pandemic

”Effective communication is effective communication, regardless of the setting.” ―​Keith Grafman

By Leanne Diaz

So, big question: How does one date in quarantine? Well, it’s not as easy as you’d think. Nowadays, you can get anything with the click of a button but what about a significant other? Yes of course people have been online dating for years but at what point does it become impossible to make a connection without meeting in person? Luckily this generation has been blessed with outlets such as facetime, skype and even tinder’s version of video chatting! For all teens, apps like yubo and tiktok help connect the younger generation and produce lots of long term friendships. All apps come with their fair share of risks like catfishes and scammers so be on the lookout and just have fun!

After a few weeks of talking back and forth on tinder, a guy asked Shelby Johnson on a “facetime date”. Confused, she asked what that entailed and he explained it would be them having dinner over the phone. She agreed and of course she had pre-date jitters and freaked out on what to wear, how to do her hair, what lighting she should be in, ect. Though they wouldn’t be meeting in person yet, dating over the phone comes with its unique set of problems.

That being said, how did Shelby perfectly prepare and plan her facetime date? First she worried about what she was going to look like; she chose a fun top that still looked put together and paired it with some sweats since her bottom half wasn’t going to be visible. Next she went with very natural, almost-not there makeup and sat near a lamp for golden lighting. Shelby went on her date and said “it went very well and was not awkward at all.” She then went on to say that “[She] can get used to online dating and may have to normalize it due to Covid-19.” Though you may be nervous at first, you may prefer it over the anxiety some people get when meeting for the first time. Yes it is a bummer that cute date spots aren’t currently up and running, however, staying in and talking over the phone may be the new trend for my fellow introverts out there! So try sparking a conversation with someone who catches your eye over social media and keep it casual; we’re all in the same boat longing for interactions with some new people. Most importantly, be safe and stay healthy! <3