New Delhi, November 13 (IANSlife): Bumble, the first dating app for women, is releasing its annual dating trends for 2024. The popular dating app gathered insights from more than 25,000 singles on Bumble around the world to identify the trends that will define dating and relationships in the coming year.
Bumble’s 2023 trends focus on loving abroad with Wanderlove, dating outside your type with Open-casting, and setting new boundaries with our partners, our business lives, and our finances. Looking ahead, 2024 should be the year of “you” in dating and relationships with more people looking back at what they value and want.
This personal prioritization shows singles rejecting the constant pursuit of perfection, rejecting outdated timelines, challenging ‘jobification’ and placing a higher value on emotional vulnerability, self-acceptance and shared priorities.
As we head into 2024, there’s a sense of optimism and clarity for the ‘year of you’, as Bumble’s research shows that more than half (59%) of Indian women surveyed enter the new year with a clear view of what they want from their romantic lives.
Bumble’s relationship trend predictions include:
Val-Core Dating: Singles today are looking for common priorities and expect their partners not only to care about social causes, but also to be actively engaged. Val-Core points to the rise of people who value engagement in issues that matter to them. For 1 in 4 (25%) people on Bumble, it’s crucial that their partner is actively involved in politics and social issues, in fact, it makes them more attractive. In fact, 41% of Indians say that a potential partner’s participation in politics and voting is important to them. When it comes to dating, Bumble’s research shows that women are less open to dating someone with different political views, with 1 in 3 (33%) women in the world rejecting dating someone who isn’t aware of current social issues. When it comes to dating, Bumble research shows that the top social reason Indians want their partners to be involved in is human rights issues (64%). Research also shows that for 38% of Indian women, it is important that a potential partner has a passion for the same values as them. Improving burnout: From biohacking and starting the day at 5am, to tuning into self-help podcasts, there’s been a rise in people ‘self-optimizing’ – striving to become the perfect version of themselves. This has led to the majority of singles (55%) feeling pressure to constantly look for ways to improve themselves, leaving 1 in 4 (24%) feeling unworthy of a partner. Looking ahead to 2024, singles are rebelling against constant self-improvement with more than 2 in 3 women surveyed (68%) globally taking active steps to be happier with who they are in the here and now. In fact, 56% of Indian women will now only date people who won’t try to change them. Intuitive Intimacy: For people today, and women in particular, attraction seems to come down to one key thing: emotional intimacy. Singles are focused on finding safety, security and understanding, and more than a third (35%) of people surveyed on Bumble India believe that emotional intimacy is now more important than sex, and is actually more attractive than a physical relationship. When it comes to dating, 3 out of 4 women (78%) say it’s crucial that their partner understands both emotional and physical intimacy. In 2024, it’s time to get back on your feet. Open-Hearted Masculinity: The year was filled with global conversations about masculinity and gender roles in fashion, media, music and film (ken-ergy, anyone?). When it comes to relationships, 1 in 4 (25%) men worldwide say they have actively changed their behavior, becoming more vulnerable and open with the people they date than ever before. For a quarter of Indian men (26%), this newfound openness has had a positive effect on their mental health, and for 37% of Indian men, a lack of vulnerability is now a barrier to romantic relationships. sports documentaries and a global competition next year, sports will take first place in dating – or maybe we’re all looking for our own Taylor and Kelce love story? For 35% of single Indians, the shared love of sports has now become a ‘must have’ regardless of whether you are a player or just a spectator. Our obsession with sports is also changing the way we date with 30% of Indian singles stating that playing sports together is important, more so with Genza (33%) than Millennials (26%). Almost three-quarters (73%) of Bumble profiles in India include a badge of interest in sports, with top athletics including cricket and football.**Consider the date: This year’s prioritization of self-care and mental health led to more than half (58%) singles who are more open about their mental health and are working together to slow down. Single Indians are changing the way they date to better protect their mental health, with 1 in 3 (33%) actively ‘slow dating’ and being mindful of how much they date to ensure quality over quantity, even more so among women. In fact, 42% of Indian women actively seek men who value both time and self-care. This reverses a trend that Bumble identified in the pandemic, causing 1 in 4 (25%) people in India to “pretend” love is actively discovered by anyone who treats dating as a checklist exercise.
Samarpita Samaddar, Director of Communications at Bumble for India, said, “In 2023, we identified trends in travel, pushing new boundaries and stepping outside of your type. We know that cultural conversations about misogyny, women’s rights, and social issues, which are intertwined with our relationship lives, have left many exhausted this year. This has affected the way people want to date – people feel more empowered in their sense of self and see people who value what’s important to them, whether it’s social causes, lifestyle choices or even their favorite sports.
It’s exciting to see how people are now looking more inward and wanting to present themselves as authentic versions of themselves. We predict that 2024 will bring the year of you, and single Indians will feel more empowered than ever to prioritize what they value and what they won’t stand for, leading to new clarity about what they want in their romantic lives.”
