While many of us were separated from our loved ones during lockdown, the rise in popularity of dating apps shows that we as a people might value intimacy over public safety.

During the pandemic YouGov reported that only 39% of 18 to 24 single year olds stopped dating, while a fifth of single Brits who had an active love life before lockdown are now spending more time on dating apps. This is even higher among our age bracket, with a quarter of 18 to 24 year olds now swiping more than ever before.

It seems that online dating is what people do when everything else has been cancelled. Match Group, which owns over 45 dating brands including Hinge, Tinder, Match and OKCupid, showed an increase in subscribers and downloads over pre-COVID levels, with a 15% increase in new subscribers over the last quarter.

The real success story of the pandemic must be Tinder, with users making 3 billion swipes worldwide on Sunday 29 March, the most the app has ever recorded in a single day.

With the rise of dating apps during the pandemic, more and more sites have appeared for any and all particular niches, including coronavirus sceptics. Right wing commentator Toby Young has been faced with ridicule after announcing his new dating forum for lockdown sceptics.

Young tweeted that he set up the forum Love in a Covid Climate “so singles who feel the same way about the virus can meet and not have to worry about differing attitudes to social distancing.” The site carries the motto “Stay sceptical. End the lockdown. Save lives.” However others have found the tagline “OKStupid” more appropriate.

Posts on the forum include:

“Clever and good looking guy, happy to date and kiss un-masked 35-50 ladies (slim, intelligent, confident and kind). N. Derbyshire/S. Yorkshire.”

“No nonsense, 48, divorced. Fed up to the back teeth of this ‘woke’ nonsense and the bit by bit destruction of a once decent country. Never worn a mask and won’t now, certainly not dictated to by that phoney Johnson! Like real ale, decent music and motorsports.”

So are people looking for love, or are they just sexually frustrated?

Data shows the latter may be true. According to YouGov a fifth of all Brits say they’ve had less sex since the start of lockdown, with 38% of 18- to 24-year-olds reporting that they’re having less sex. This includes 31% who say it’s “a lot less”. Has lockdown shown us how horny we are as a nation, or is it a much-needed distraction from the mess that is 2020? As this virus has shown, people need human interaction in whatever form, and dating apps have helped provide this.

As dating apps have become increasingly popular for isolated singles, the apps have had to adapt to new demands. Hinge released a video dating feature, Plenty of Fish added live-streaming, while Tinder has not only added a video feature but is trialling virtual spaces and live events where people can meet and match on the platform, like Swipe Nights and quizzes.

What does this mean for the future of dating? By having longer conversations before meeting IRL, apps could be providing more meaningful interactions. By getting to know people before meeting face to face, this could change how modern dating works forever.