By Columnist Tom P Blake
On Life and Love After 50 eNewsletter – October 9, 2020
Pandemic Online dating sites and new terminology
Not long after COVID-19 arrived, emails started arriving in my inbox promoting pandemic-related dating information. New online dating sites, new dating terms, and endless offers of interviews with dating and relationship experts became the “new norm.”
On July 15, I started saving those emails in a file, thinking it would be fun someday to share some of their unusual content. I decided this was the week to do that and selected 13 of those emails.
While reading the list of 13 items, please keep in mind three things:
(1) Most emails didn’t disclose the age groups they are targeting. From the content, I’m guessing most are for people ages 20 to 50.
(2) I understand companies trying to make a living during this pandemic, but wow, some were grasping at straws. The quotation marks are theirs.
(3) I am not recommending any of these sites, just sharing info they sent.
Here are the 13 sites I singled out:
Cobble
“Life for couples is about to get a lot easier, and a lot more exciting, with the release of Cobble, a new decision-making app to answer the age-old question ‘What are we doing tonight?’
“Couples independently swipe (right for yes, left for no) on our curated date night content. When both people in a relationship swipe right, it’s a match! Then we make it easy to follow through: make reservations, buy tickets, order in, chat, and more. Since we launched 10 days ago, there have been over 60K swipes!
“Cobble is…sexy. If ever there was a time to explore your partner’s desires, it’s now. From curious to kink, Cobble can help couples keep the spice in the relationship when they match on tips, tricks, toys, positions…”
Pokerface
“COVID-19 created a surge in online dating and video dates over the past few months, but the process is still the same. People make profiles, find a few non-embarrassing photos, and then endlessly swipe away, hoping for a match. But what if there was a better way to find the one?
“Pokerface is a social gambling/poker app that features live video chat during games, has a new feature that is revamping how singles find love.
Say Allo
“This week Say Allo, the ‘smart’ dating app announces the launch of live, virtual speed dating to better serve singles while ‘dating during quarantine.’ After seeing a 350% increase in video dates sessions across its nearly 100,000 users throughout the US and Canada, this innovative feature offers users a smarter solution to video dating. Say Allo will be hosting its first ‘live’ video speed dating event…”
Situationships
“We know all about ‘booty calls,’ ‘friends with benefits’ and ‘it’s complicated,’ but situationships seem to be the new norm in the time of dating exploration, casualty and noncommittal relationships. Situationships are like playing house in a romantic relationship, but without any real consistency, dependency or reliability.”
Quarantine Breakup(s) (a new dating breakup term)
“Relationship experts are reporting they are seeing an increase in relationship breakups AKA Quarantine Breakups; a prime example is the never-ending list of recent celebrity splits.
Tom’s comment: Oh my, another new dating term! Like breadcrumbing, ghosting, LAT, now it’s Quarantine Breakups (QB for short). Here’s how QB might be used in context: “I was in a LAT, got ghosted, and now it’s a QB.”
Whistle Out
“Niche dating apps, which are designed to make matches between people who share a specific interest or experience have completely taken off this year, with more than 1,500 new dating sites across the US.
“Check out the report of each state’s favorite niche dating app in 2020 on whistleout.com.”
20 dating
“20 dating is the brand new, world-first Extreme Age Gap dating site where singles are only paired with people with a 20-year-or-more age gap. ‘Members cannot even see / message/search anyone within 20 years,’ says David Minns, the serial dating entrepreneur who created other niche sites such as Dinky One, Butterfly, and Lisa 50.”
Tom’s comment: Ah, possibly a site for seniors. A woman, age 80, told me she’d like to meet a mature man. She could join this site and have at her finger tips a list of 100-year-old men looking for younger women.
Vinylly
“Can your music playlist lead to love? A new dating app is using music compatibility to make a match – and the idea is booming during the pandemic.
“Vinylly pairs potential matches based on their music streaming data and music tastes. And, with the pandemic, Vinylly has partnered with an entertainment company to provide Livestream concerts for virtual dates.”
Tom’s comment: I love country music; Greta loves classical. Does that mean we aren’t a match? Heck no. we compromise by enjoying together Dutch violinist Andre Rieu, who plays a 1667 Stradivarius violin.
Loosid
“A free sober social networking app allows users to find and match with members who have similar interests and passions and has seen a 620% uptick in dating messages amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“A new report found that Loosid is the most popular niche dating app for California for 2020, responsible for hundreds of thousands sober dating interactions. The app goes a step further and offers boozeless guides for restaurants that offer mocktails, since dining out is all about the experience, for many millennials and young adults.
What’s Your Price (another dating site)
“While the Coronavirus put a short hold on dating, it’s back and WhatsYourPrice released video chatting and an improved messaging platform to help singles continue their quest for love. Members virtual date, getting to know each other before ever meeting in person, saving both time and effort on a dating site unlike any other.”
Everydaycarryon (long-distance dating)
“Love in the time of Corona… Survey finds the average American single would travel for 2.4 hours to go on a date, thanks to the pandemic.
“Now that we can’t go out as much locally, we’ve had to meet new people online; and that might mean that they don’t live that close to us. So, just how far would we be willing to travel in the name of love nowadays?”
Qikie
“Welcome to Qikie, a hookup platform dedicated to creating an inclusive space for people of all genders, especially women, to have a good time. Qikie is here to help everyone embrace their sexuality, find community, and have fun without judgment. We stand for acceptance, open-mindedness, diversity, and inclusivity.”
The Senior List
“How has the coronavirus impacted the marriages and domestic partnerships of older adults 55+? TheSeniorList has answers in its latest report: “Senior Marital and Domestic Partner Relationships During COVID.”
“This is not the first storm seniors and their relationships have had to weather,” says Amie Clark, co-founder and senior editor of TheSeniorList. “While an unprecedented pandemic is a significant challenge, it is encouraging our older population is meeting it head-on, not surprisingly, with success.”
In summary, these sites appear to appeal to a younger crowd. To survive during the pandemic, they add creativity and imagination – whatever it takes for them to stay in business.
For seniors, face-to-face dating remains dangerous, particularly with strangers. Following the safety guidelines—masks, social distancing, avoiding crowds—remains the wise way to proceed. If you’re out there, be smart.
My, my, how times have changed since this picture was taken, circa 1949, in Jackson, Michigan, I’m in front row, second from left, my brother Bill is directly behind me. Jim Lefere is next to me:
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