2024 Dating Trends

Meet Stacy Thomson, the visionary behind REDDI, a groundbreaking matchmaking and dating app centred on attachment style-based matches. Whether you’re ready to settle down or continue exploring the dating scene, these 10 expert-driven dating trends will guide you through the New Year.

Slow dating

In 2024, it’s all about quality over quantity, with a focus on deeper or longer conversations to get to know a potential partner, and it means not being offended if a match doesn’t want to meet up right away. 

Prioritising mental health

The emotional toll of online dating — the matches that don’t reply, the ones you chat with fruitlessly for a year, the ones you do meet IRL but then ghost you — is seeing many daters scale back their efforts. The ongoing emphasis on mental health will lead to a shift in values, with emotional wellness taking precedence over physical features. This change is expected to reduce toxic relationships and promote wholeness, boundary-setting, and effective communication.

Come as you are

Personal growth is great and there’s a point where you need a break from trying to be better than before, avoiding ‘betterment burnout’. This comes with acceptance for people not to accept potential partners as they are.

Authentic connections over love bombing

Observing social media and dating app profiles, the prevailing sentiment is a preference for genuine connections over fleeting encounters and artificial intimacy. People express a desire for authenticity, looking for a companion who is honest. The era of fake presentations associated with dating apps and social media is losing its allure.

Sharing viewpoints is a top priority

No one is hesitating to ask where a prospective partner stands on important issues anymore. If you’re thinking about entering a committed relationship with someone, topics such as local, national, and global trending news will come up quickly and influence compatibility.

Money talks

There’s an overall focus on honesty and clarity in relationships and part of that is ‘cash candidness’ a growing movement toward financial transparency in dating, particularly stating expectations about how extravagant (or not) dates should be. In a cost-of-living transparency discussing finances should be on the table.

Dating across age groups

A notable trend is the willingness of individuals entering the dating scene to break free from age-related restrictions. Younger and older individuals are more open to connecting across age groups. What a partner brings to the table is shifting away from age and toward shared values, standards, alignment, and future goals.

Values and alignment 

The days of adhering to superficial standards are waning. As society focuses on healing and self-care, individuals are becoming more attuned to their values and alignment. Open discussions about children, religious beliefs, family ties, and future goals are occurring earlier in the dating process. Vetting potential partners based on shared values is on the rise.

Virtual meetups before formal dates

A growing number of individuals now insist on virtual interactions before committing to in-person meetings. This shift is driven by a desire to save time and gauge compatibility before investing in a physical encounter. FaceTime, video calls, and phone calls are gaining popularity as means of establishing connections.

Open-mindedness

A surge in the popularity of short kings is anticipated, with more women letting go of height-based preferences. This shift towards focusing on specific qualities and character traits is predicted to lead to increased relationship and marriage rates.

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