Looking for love in 2024? Here are four predicted dating trends to look forward to. Photo / 123RF
Looking for love in 2024? Here are four predicted dating trends to look forward to. Photo / 123RF
OPINION
Put your hand up if you’ve gone on over 56 dates this year, run out of at least four of them, ghosted seven individuals and deleted and re-downloaded your apps too many times to count. All of us? Okay, great.
Thankfully, a new year is upon us, and if your New Year’s resolution is to turn into a bonafide simp, then you’ve come to the right place. I’ve got all the delulu (delusional) tips and tricks to make sure your 2024 is full of love.
Firstly, you must wear red underwear on December 31 and eat 12 grapes under a table at midnight.
Just kidding - that’s a myth that went viral on TikTok last year, and while I’m sure it coincidentally worked for some legends, it’s not the expert theory we’re here for today.
Nope, today, we are here for a dating trend hot take from Bumble’s APAC communications director Lucille McCart so we can all learn what to expect in the land of love next year and how to navigate it.
Here are four dating trends to expect in 2024.
MVP - Most Valuable Partner
Print this out and stick it on your 2024 dating vision board for good luck. Photo / TikTok
What happens when you mix sports and dating? No, not Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift, but the real MVP — Most Valuable Partner.
Officially, the sports-coined phrase “MVP” means Most Valuable Player, but it has a new definition and, along with an extravagant firework display at midnight on December 31, 2024, is about to bring us a dating/sports combo we never knew we needed.
Bumble has predicted 2024 will see more and more people using sports games as a first date option.
Speaking to the Herald, McCart says it shouldn’t come as a surprise that our cultural obsession with sports is infiltrating our dating life. “When you’re talking about heterosexual relationships, men really bond through activities and women really bond through talking, and going to watch a game really gives you the opportunity to do both those things and get to know someone in a fun, low-stakes environment.”
She also notes that if you’re a lad looking for love, watching and respecting women’s sports is something that can earn you extra points in the dating world. “I think if a man didn’t get around that, that’s a bit of a red flag,” she chuckles.
Timeline decline
With Christmas mere weeks away, everyone — whether single or coupled up — knows it’s time to start preparing your answers for well-meaning Granny Joan and nosy Uncle Bill, who will no doubt ask when you’re planning to settle down, get married, have children - the list goes on and on. Thankfully, Bumble has some information that may come in handy.
According to the dating app’s research, 2024 will continue to see the decline of traditional relationship timelines, with one in three women (or 31 per cent) saying they are no longer living their love lives based on traditional timelines and milestones.
Sorry Granny, but I’m not the only one saying no to getting married at 20 and having three kids by 25.
Val-Core dating
We’ve had a huge year when it comes to values. With the recent election, it felt like social media turned into a “here’s my hot take on politics” platform, which honestly felt more hostile than having the marriage chat with Granny.
While you might have found yourself skipping the majority of Instagram stories and Facebook posts, you might have also found yourself pleasantly intrigued by a few, because snap! You have the same values and priorities. Well, get comfortable, boo, because Bumble predicts this will continue all the way into 2024 and beyond.
The app found one in four people (25 per cent) say it is key that their partner actively engages with politics and social causes - in fact, it makes them more attractive.
The Val-Core trend doesn’t end with politics, though. McCart says there are other values we are looking for in dating which can see you staying in the “talking” stage for longer before you actually meet up with someone.
“That talking stage is becoming more important and lasting a little bit longer,” she says, adding that it’s not that daters don’t want to meet in person anymore, but rather, “You want to get to know someone’s values, someone’s emotional intimacy skills, at least a little bit so that you can trust that this is someone who’s worth leaving the house for.”
Intuitive intimacy
Have you ever spent a bit of time with someone, connected with them emotionally and realised, ‘Yup, this person is for me’? You’re not the only one. Bumble has found that a third of people they surveyed believe emotional intimacy is now more important than sex.
Say goodbye to your inner Grinch - 2024 is all about feeling your emotions.
It may not come as a surprise for all the Gen Z youths and millennials who reportedly aren’t as into sex as previous generations. The truth is, it’s not that they’re not as into sex, it’s more that attraction comes down to one key thing: emotional intimacy. In 2024, this trend will continue, with many singles focused on finding that person who gives them all the security, safety and understanding they desire.
“The feedback that we’re getting is that physical attraction, it’s nice, but people are also prioritising ‘What kind of person are you?’ and ‘What kind of connection do we have?’” McCart explains.
In summary, it seems dating in the year of 2024 is all about feelings, values and sports - and if all else fails, wear red underwear and eat grapes.
Lillie Rohan is an Auckland-based reporter covering lifestyle and entertainment stories who joined the Herald in 2020. She specialises in all things relationships and dating, great Taylor Swift ticket wars and TV shows you simply cannot miss out on.
