It’s starting to look a lot like it Christmas end of 2023, which means it’s time for predictions for 2024. Last year, Bumble dropped a few dating trends to watch out for this year, like “love-life balance” and dating outside of your type. Now the dating app has upped its predictions for the year ahead, including value-based dating and not caring about typical relationship timelines.
Intergenerational romance
Bumble says singles are more open to dating older or younger people. For 63 percent of men, age is not a determining factor, and 59 percent of women say they are now more open to dating someone younger than them, according to a survey Bumble conducted this September with a sample of more than 26,800 members on Bumble globally.
Additionally, more than one in three women (35 percent) say they have become less judgmental about age-gap relationships in the past year.
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Values-based dating
Since the pandemic, dating apps have seen a surge in people who want matches to be interested in the same issues as them (see “green dating”). Now, Bumble reports that singles are looking for partners who not only care about social causes, but are also actively engaged. They call this “Val-Core” dating, or the rise of singles who value commitment to issues that matter to them. One in four people on Bumble think it’s key that their partner gets involved in political and social causes. Women are less open to someone with different political views, according to Bumble; 33 percent find it off-putting if someone they’re seeing isn’t aware of current issues.
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Stop the trap of self-cultivation
Especially in the US, there’s a sense that we always have to improve. This is reflected in Bumble research: 55 percent of singles feel pressured to constantly look for ways to improve themselves. This affects mental health; 24 percent feel unworthy of a partner if they haven’t invested in themselves. However, some singles are bucking this trend. Two in three women surveyed by Bumble (68 percent) are taking active steps to be happy with who they are now — and 40 percent say they’ll only date people who won’t try to change them.
Emotional intimacy is key
The focus on dating someone who is in tune with their mental health and going to therapy has been growing for several years. Bumble now sees how important emotional intimacy is to people who are dating. A third (32 percent) believe that emotional intimacy is more important than sex and that it is more attractive than a physical relationship. Seventy-eight percent of women say it’s important for their partner to understand both emotional and physical intimacy.
Self-care still reigns supreme
58 percent of singles are more open about their mental health, according to Bumble, and are making efforts to slow down. This coincides with the emphasis on intentional encounters that began — you guessed it — during the pandemic. One in three (31 percent) are “slow daters” and want quality over quantity. These statistics are higher for women: 36 percent (40 in the US alone) actively seek out people who practice and value self-care.
Open-hearted masculinity
The “manosphere” “alpha male” seems to be all the rage in 2023 with influencers like Andrew Tate influencing followers of all ages. Fortunately, there are men who do not fall for this. Bumble found that one in four men globally and 31 percent in the US have actively changed their behavior and become more vulnerable to their partners than ever before. One in four also found that this openness has been positive for their mental health, while 32 percent overall (and 35 in the US) even think that being open and vulnerable is the most important aspect of a relationship.
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“It’s exciting to see people continue to lean on self-acceptance and vulnerability as the foundation of healthy and fair relationships,” Bumble sex and relationship expert Shan Budram said in the press release. “When we are kinder to ourselves, we are able to make more meaningful, purposeful and intentional connections both online and in real life.”
A drop in the relationship timeline
The pandemic has ushered in an era where we are rethinking how we do things – including relationships. Some people came out, other people found they wanted to be non-monogamous. This rejection of “traditional” monogamous relationships and expectations will continue into 2024, Bumble predicts. Women in particular are forging their own paths: 31 percent say they’re no longer focused on sticking to traditional deadlines and milestones, and the same amount only want to date people who have the same perspective (the latter number rises to 37 percent in the US).
While 72 percent of women are looking for a long-term relationship, only 23 percent are looking for marriage. For 16 percent globally and 18 percent in the U.S., this means actively avoiding lovers who pressure them.
The most valuable partner
Sharing an interest in sports is an extremely important factor in a potential partner for 31 percent of singles on Bumble. About a quarter (24 percent) say attending sporting events together is important, especially among millennials and Gen Z. Sports interest badges are most widely used in the U.S., the Bumblebee states, led by basketball, soccer and running. Looks like the singles want their own Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce story.
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“These trends highlight a positive shift toward celebrating who you are, what you are, moving away from traditional timelines, redefining outdated expectations, and seeking shared values,” Boodram said. “I look forward to seeing what 2024 holds for the Bumble community as they continue to bring their most authentic selves to the table and make good connections.”
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