COULD HAVE MAY HAVE COMPLICATED
THE DATING GAME BUT 2020 WAS THE
BUSIEST YEAR YET.
OTHER APPS REPORT INCREASED USE.
AS THE WHITE HOUSE PUSHES FOR
70% OF ADULTS TO BE VACCINATED
APP USERS CAN SHARE THEIR
VACCINATION STATUS ON-LINE.
AND ACCESS A VARIETY OF PREMIUM
FEATURES WHEN THEY DO.
JOINING US TO TALK ABOUT DATING
DURING COVID IS BELA GANDHI
FOUNDER OF SMART DATING ACADEMY.
WELCOME BACK BELLA.
>> THANK YOU.
>> HOW HAS THE PANDEMIC CHANGED
DATING OVER THE LAST YEAR?
>> IT'S CHANGED A LOT.
AND ONE OF THE SILVER LININGS OF
THE PANDEMIC IT'S CHANGED DATING
FOR THE BETTER.
ALL OF THE APPS HAVE
INCORPORATED VIDEO INTO THEIR
INTERFACES WHICH HAS BEEN GAME
CHANGING.
SO PEOPLE WERE ABLE TO MAKE
CONNECTIONS EVEN DURING
LOCKDOWNS.
AND NOW OUR CLIENTS AT SMART
DATING ACADEMY THEY ARE MANDATED
TO KEEP DOING VIDEO DATES THAT
LEADS TO A PREQUALIFIER LEADING
LESS TO UNHAPPY DATES.
>> WHY HAVE PEOPLE FLOCKED TO
THE DATING APPS?
>> 48% OF AMERICAN ADULTS ARE
SINGLE.
THAT IS 118 MILLION ADULTS.
AND SO WHEN LIFE UNPLUGGED AND
THE PANDEMIC UNPLUGGED IT FOR
US, NO FRIENDS, NO FAMILY, NO
FUNDRAISERS, NO BRUSHES WE HAD
TO STARE OURSELVES IN THE MIRROR
AND FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IT
BROUGHT ON I'M LONELY.
MAYBE I WANT [INAUDIBLE]
AND THAT DROVE PEOPLE TO THE
NUMBERS ON THE APPS THAT ARE
UNPRECEDENTED.
>> VIRTUAL VIDEO DATING HAS
BECOME MORE COMMON WE SPOKE WITH
STEPHANIE MIDED WHO GOT TOGETHER
WITH HER PARTNER WHO LIVES IN
IRELAND DURING THE PANDEMIC AND
SAID THEY TRIED TO CHOOSE ONE
CENTRAL ACTIVITY FOR EVERY DATE.
>> REALLY LIKED PLAYING GAMES.
SOME OF OUR BEST DATES HAVE BEEN
LIKE ON-LINE PUZZLES YOU CAN PUT
TOGETHER AND WE'LL DO THAT PUT
ON MUSIC AND TALK.
THERE'S SOMETIMES ALL RIGHT WE
CAN WATCH A MOVIE, WATCH A SHOW
OR PLAY A GAME OR TALK OR BOTH.
>> HOW HAVE PEOPLE MADE VIRTUAL
DATING AND VIDEO CHATS EXCITING
AND CREATIVE?
>> SO THE FIRST THING WE TELL
PEOPLE FOR FIRST AND SECOND
DATES KEEP IT SHORT AND SWEET.
YOU DON'T NEED TO DO MORE THAN
30 MINUTES.
DOING A COCKTAIL HOUR.
YOU CAN MIX-UP YOUR FAVORITE
COCKTAIL TOGETHER AND DISCLOSE
RECIPES TO EACH OTHER.
THERE ARE SO MANY THINGS.
PEOPLE HAVE BEEN COOKING DINNER
TOGETHER.
IT'S BEEN ABSOLUTELY GAME
CHANGING AND FUN FOR PEOPLE TO
DEVELOP THE CONNECTIONS SLOWLY
AND MORE ORGANICALLY.
>> WE SPOKE WITH JASMINE JACKSON
SHE CALLED HERSELF A VICTIM OF
VIRTUAL DATING BECAUSE OF COVID.
THIS YEAR SHE WAS CATFISHED BY A
MATCH.
LET'S LISTEN...
>> I SHOW UP TO THE RESTAURANT
AND I'M ON THE PHONE LIKE I'M
HERE WHERE ARE YOU BECAUSE I'M
LOOKING FOR SOMEONE WHO IS
TALLER IN STATURE IT WAS NOT HIM
IT WAS NOT HIM.
HE WAS SEND HIS BROTHER'S
PICTURES.
HE WAS NOT 30 HE WAS 36.
HE HAD BEEN MARRIED TWICE AND
DIVORCED AND HE THOUGHT THAT
WOULD BE THE BEST TIME TO TELL
ME IN PERSON.
>> HOW DO VIRTUAL DATES HELP TO
WEED OUT BAD MATCHES OR
CATFISHES?
>> WELL, IF YOU ARE JUST USING
AN ON-LINE DATING APP YOU GET
FIVE OR SIX PHOTOS AND VIDEO
BRING IT IS TO LIFE IT MAKES IT
DIONNE MILLER MENTIONAL AND
WHERE ELSE ARE YOU GOING TO GET
A SNEAK PEEK INTO SOMEBODY'S
HOUSE WHAT THEIR BACKGROUND
LOOKS LIKE IS THERE CRAZY STUFF
IN THE BACK.
I LOVE IT FOR A LOT OF REASONS.
>> KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT IS GOING
ON IN THE BACKGROUND.
COVID POSED UNIQUE CHALLENGES
FOR PEOPLE TRYING TO DATE.
WE SPOKE WITH AVA O'MALLEY WHO
FOUND IT DIFFICULT TO STRIKE A
BALANCE WHEN TRYING TO MEET
SOMEONE IN-PERSON FOR THE FIRST
TIME.
>> IT WAS STRESSFUL FOR ME NOT
KNOWING IF THIS PERSON IS NOT
BEING COMPLETELY HONEST WITH WHO
THEY ARE SPENDING TIME WITH AND
HOW SAFE THEY ARE BEING
STRESSFUL AND YOU ALSO DON'T
WANT TO LIKE COME OFF AS YOU
DON'T TRUST THEM OR LIKE YOU ARE
BEING SKEPTICAL ABOUT THEM.
>> WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU SEEN
SINGLE SPACE WHEN DATING THIS
YEAR?
>> WELL, AFTER OUR ADVICE WAS TO
DO A LOT OF OUTDOOR DATES.
ONCE YOU DO VIDEO DATES GO FOR A
WALK.
GO FOR AN OUTDOOR RESTAURANT AND
OPTIONS BECAME LIMITED AND ONE
OF THE THINGS IS STAY OUT OF
EACH OTHER'S HOUSES BECAUSE YOU
KNOW WHAT CAN HAPPEN IF THERE
ARE COUPLE BOTTLES OF WINE.
WE WANT TO KEEP THINGS SLOW SO
THAT WAS A CHALLENGE DURING THE
PANDEMIC KEEPING PEOPLE OUT OF
EACH OTHER'S HOUSES AND DOING
ACTIVITIES TO SEE IF THEY COULD
BUILD THE CONNECTIONS
>> NOW, THAT APPLICATIONS ARE
ALLOWING FOLKS TO SHARE VACATION
STATUS HOW MIGHT THAT AFFECT THE
DATING GAME?
>> I THINK IT WILL BE GREAT.
A LOT OF THE APPS ARE TALKING
ABOUT OFFERING PERKS FOR PEOPLE
THAT SHOW THEIR VACCINATION
BADGES YOU CAN GET ACCESS TO
FREE PREMIUM CONTENT AND TALK
ABOUT HAVING FILTERS FOR PEOPLE
THAT WERE VACCINATED.
I KNOW WE RAN POLLS FROM OUR
DATE AGO CADMY WHEN THE WHITE
HOUSE MADE THE ANNOUNCEMENT THEY
WERE GOING TO PARTNER WITH
DATING APPS HOW WOULD YOU FEEL
ABOUT DATING SINGLES THAT ARE
VACCINATED OR NOT.
66% THAT RESPONDED TO OUR POLL
SAID THEY WANTED TO DATE PEOPLE
THAT WERE VACCINATED AND THEY
WOULD PREFERENCE THE PEOPLE AND
ONE-THIRD DID NOT CARE.
IT WILL BE AN INTERESTING SUMMER
TO SEE HOW IT PANS OUT.
>> AND WE'LL SEE HOW THE