How to save time in dating: The New First Date!

It was the summer of 2020 and I was scared shitless about the idea of meeting someone for a first date and catching the dreaded COVID. So much like a lot of other people I opted to try video chats. I did a few of them and I was very glad I did as some of these women I spoke to, we just didn’t hit it off and I didn’t even have to leave my house!

Eventually, I stumbled upon Cassandra, a nice funny and smart woman from SLC, Utah. We hit it off and after 3 video chats, we decided to take a risk and go on a first date (4th Date).

The pandemic is in a rapid decline. But not so much for the video chat first dates. People still utilize them and rightly, so. We all discovered this saved us time, money, and effort. We learned that when you strip down the first date to nothing more than a conversation behind a camera, the bar is raised a lot higher for some people who are used to the subpar effort.

A spokesperson for Hinge said that more than half of the app’s users had met a suitor on video!

A 2021 Match.com study reported that one in four single people had done so that year — compared with just 6 percent of people before the pandemic.

This is the new first date and it’s not going anywhere. I think it’s primarily reserved for those who are really looking for the real deal. So much so that they don’t want to waste time getting all dressed up and driving 30–15 minutes only to be hugely disappointed.

Now don’t get me wrong, I also know there are a lot of people who I would imagine felt so uncomfortable 1:1 camera to camera. They’d much rather do the obligatory drinks or a coffee shop.

According to Match, 71 percent of people who’d met a romantic prospect on video said it had helped determine if they wanted to meet up in person. It truly is a great filtration process. You could even end a bad date in 30 minutes if it’s that awful and it won’t be awkward at all.