Are you single? listen up! Bumble predicts the 2023 dating trends

This year brought the return of iconic Y2K couples and fashion, an obsession with pink barbiecore, and a fascination with ‘coastal grandma’ interiors… but what about our dating lives?

Bumble’s 2022 trends focused on rediscovery as we emerged from the pandemic with new behaviours such as hardballing, the rise of alcohol free ‘dry-dating’, and an obsession with making hobbies part of our dates.

Looking ahead, it seems this year has taught us some lessons about what we want and how to best articulate our needs and boundaries. Following 2022’s year of rediscovery, Bumble’s research suggests that next year will be more focused on challenging the status quo and finding more balance in the way we date.

According to the popular dating app, we should be optimistic about dating in 2023 with 70% of people globally saying they feel positive about the romance that lies ahead.

When it comes to dating next year, Bumble suggests we should expect…

Open Casting

It’s time to do away with the tall, dark, and handsome requirements as the narrow search for our physical ‘type’ is not serving us. The opposite of type-casting, open casting refers to how 1 in 3 (38%) people are now more open to who they consider dating beyond their ‘type’. This is even more prevalent within the UK, with over half (52%) claiming this. 1 in 4 (28%) of us are placing less emphasis on dating people that others ‘expect’ them to.

Guardrailing

With the return of office culture and busy social schedules, the majority of people are feeling overwhelmed right now. This has forced us all to prioritise our boundaries and more than half (52%) have established more boundaries over the last year. This includes being clearer about our emotional needs and boundaries (63%), being more thoughtful and intentional about how we put ourselves out there (59%), and not overcommitting socially (53%).

Love-life Balance

There has been a shift in the way we think about, and value, our work and our partner’s work. Gone are those days that our job titles and demanding work days are seen as a status symbol with half of people are prioritising work/life balance (49%). When it comes to their partner, more than half of people care more about their work/life balance than their career status (54%). Over the past year, more than half of people (52%) are actively creating more space for breaks and rest and more than 1 in 10 (13%) will no longer date someone who has a very demanding job.

Wanderlove

Looks like we’re after an eat, date, love moment with 1 in 3 (33%) people on Bumble saying that they are now more open to travel and relationships with people who are not in their current city. Post-pandemic WFH flexibility means that 1 in 8 (14%) of us have explored the idea of being a ‘digital nomad’ opening up how we think about who and where we date.

New Year, New Me(n)

Conversations about gender norms and expectations have been front and centre. Over the last year, 3 in 4 (74%) of men say they have examined their behaviour more than ever and have a clearer understanding of ‘toxic masculinity’ and what is not acceptable. More than half of people on Bumble (52%) are actively challenging stereotypes that suggest that men should not show emotions, for fear of appearing weak. 1 in 3 (38%) now speak more openly about their emotions with their male friends, and half (49%) of men agree that breaking gender roles in dating and relationships is beneficial for them too.

Dating Renaissance

Much like a well-known Queen B, many of us are having a renaissance with 1 in 3 (39%) people on Bumble having ended a marriage or serious relationship in the last two years. These people are now jumping into their second chapter with 1 in 3 (36%) using dating apps for the first time, learning to navigate new dating language and codes.

Ethical sex-ploration

The way that we are talking, thinking about, and having sex is changing. More of us are approaching sex, intimacy, and dating in an open and exploratory way (42%) and sex is no longer the taboo, with more than half of us agreeing that it’s important to discuss sexual wants and needs early on (53%). Over the past year, 1 in 5 (20%) have explored their sexuality more, and 1 in 8 (14%) of us are considering a non-monogamous relationship. However, this doesn’t mean we’re all having more sex. 1 in 3 (34%) people are not currently having sex and they are ok with that, and this particularly true for the UK (42%).

Are you noticing a change in your dating habits?