“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” ― Dr. Seuss
Listen carefully, all ye singles out there. Put that perennial jingle of biohacking and wellness jargon on the backburner. Love yourself the way you are here and now. Never hold the hand of someone who is indifferent to the woes of the world. Well, sex surely is primal instinct but emotional intimacy is the new relationship prerequisite. Priortise your mental health over everything else and embrace slow-dating. Shun the ‘jobification’ of love – do not treat a date as a checklist exercise. And learn a thing or two about sports. Trust me, it will come in handy.
Pay heed to these mantras – these standpoints will lord over the dating and relationship realm in 2024. The women-first dating app, Bumble surveyed over 25,000 singles across the world including India to unveil dating trends for 2024. Above all, the new year will be a ‘year of the self’ with more than half (59%) of Indian women surveyed saying that they will step into the new year with a clear view of what they want from their romantic lives. And men are ready to unabashedly espouse and embrace ken-ergy.
The key takeaways of Bumble’s 2024 dating trends are:
Val-core Dating
This world-love and participation in making the world better makes them more attractive.
- 41% of Indians say their potential partner engaging in politics and voting is important to them
- 33% women globally get turned off if someone they are dating is not aware of current societal issues.
Betterment Burnout
Singles are ready to shut the cacophony of self-improvement that is getting deafening. It is time to love yourself the way you are, here and now.
- 56% of Indian women will now only date people who will not try to change them
- 68% women globally are taking active steps to be happier with who they are here and now.
Intuitive Intimacy
For people today, and particularly women, attraction narrows down to one key thing: emotional intimacy. It is now more important than sex and that it’s actually more attractive than physical connection.
- 78% say it’s key that their partner has an understanding of both emotional and physical intimacy.
- 35% of people surveyed on Bumble in India believe that emotional intimacy is now more important than sex.
Open-Hearted Masculinity
Men can cry & it is okay to be vulnerable. Ken-ergy, anyone?
- 25% men globally state that they have actively changed their behaviour, becoming more vulnerable and open with people they are dating than ever before.
- 26% of Indian men say this new-found openness has had a positive impact on their mental health
- For 37% Indian men a lack of vulnerability is now a dating dealbreaker.
MVP (Most Valuable Partner)
Sports is set to take a front seat in dating – or maybe we’re just all after our own Taylor and Kelce love story? A shared love of sports has now become a ‘must have’ regardless of whether you are a player or simply a spectator.
- 30% of single Indians state that attending sports together is important, more so with Genz (33%) than Millennials (26%).
- 73% of profiles on Bumble in India include a sports interest badge.
Consider-date
This year’s prioritisation of self-care and mental health has led to more than half of singles being more open about their mental health and making a concerted effort to slow down. Single Indians are reframing how they date to better protect their mental health and slow-dating is the new black.
- 42% of Indian women are actively seeking people who value both time and self-care.
- 25% people in India are actively deterred by anyone who treats a date as a checklist exercise.
“In 2023, we identified trends on travel romances, setting new boundaries, and dating outside your type. We know that cultural conversations around misogyny, women’s rights, and social issues, that are intertwined with our dating lives, left many exhausted this year. This has impacted the way people want to date – people are feeling more empowered in their sense of self and seeking out people who value what’s important to them, whether it’s social causes, lifestyle choices or even their favourite sports,” Samarpita Samaddar, Bumble’s India Communications Director, said.
“It’s exciting to see people are now increasingly looking inward, and want to show up as authentic versions of themselves. We predict that 2024 will bring in a year of the self, with single Indians feeling more empowered than ever to prioritise what they value and what they will not stand for, leading to a new clarity about what they want in their romantic lives,” Samaddar added.
With dating and relationship set to get redefined in 2024, Bumble is doing its bit by lending a helping hand to singles through its news features including Best Bees, a curated daily set of four compatible profiles to help you find more relevant connections faster. Andif you find someone whose notion about sustainability, sports – even poetry – is in sync with yours, tell them so with the Compliments feature.
Dr Seuss was right. If you meet the perfect match, reality can be better than dreams!
