The new year is nearly upon us, and with it, there will come a whole new set of dating trends to keep track of.
While 2022 brought us the likes of bae-realing and hesidating, relationship expert and founder of the Wingman dating app, Tina Wilson, says we have new things coming.
It seems green dating and eco-fishing are on the horizon.
Here are her predictions for the big dating trends that we need to watch out for in 2023…
Green Dating
The environment is a priority for many people, and that naturally extends to their romantic life – especially those in younger generations.
Tina said: ‘Sustainability consciousness dating will grow, especially within the Gen Z generation. A “red flag” in a relationship will be if your date does not show concern for the environment.
‘This will become apparent through their consumer habits which will be evaluated and appraised by the eco-conscious dater. Expect to be dumped fast if you are a jet-setter or drive a gas-guzzling car.
‘Dating profiles with fast flashy cars and private jets may be soon a thing of the past, and frowned upon, as our energy-conscious singles are no longer impressed with such items.
‘In a recent survey, 72% of Wingman users under 30 said they would turn a date down if a potential partner was a climate sceptic. Men are more likely to make a green dating faux pas, especially in earlier relationship scenarios as they try and impress their date, but unbeknownst to them, it will backfire…’
Eco-fishing
You’ve heard of greenwashing (when you make it seem like you’re environmentally-conscious by one small action, but aren’t overall), now get ready for eco-fishing.
‘On the flip side to green dating is eco-fishing,’ explained Tina.
‘Similar to catfishing, an eco fisher in dating in 2023 will make the conscious effort and pretend to be an eco-warrior type to fool the potential date into believing they are like-minded and share the same concerns and goals for the planet. But this is all a pretence to attract someone.
‘As a relationship develops they will be exposed, and the dater will realise their values greatly differ and they’re not the person they made out to be.’
Mirror dating
Tina says the cost of living crisis and the lockdowns will be combined catalysts for this trend, because people are looking to save money without missing out on experiences worth having.
She explained: ‘To tackle the cost of living crisis, the obvious choice for people will be “free dating”, whereby online daters will actively plan dates that don’t hurt their bank balance.
‘I predict this will be short-lived in 2023, as singles are still scarred from the Covid quarantines – there are only so many walks around the same park on a date one can take.
‘Online daters will pivot to double dates, or group dates, and there are two big benefits to note with this mirror dating approach. It is exciting to mix things up and have fun by going on double dates because it takes the pressure off any awkward moments alone together.
‘You can also assess your date in a social and group setting as well as gain that all-important feedback from your friends – the ultimate compatibility tester.’
Pivo-dating
The increasing normalisation of things like polyamory and swinging means Tina thinks more daters will be emboldened to pivot to a new relationship style that suits them best.
‘31% of Wingman users revealed they would consider a non-traditional dating relationship,’ she said.
‘Daters are expressing their needs more freely and won’t hold back in pivoting and moulding the relationship they want. For instance, I am seeing a rise in non-monogamous relationships, a trend that I predict will grow.’
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