There was a time in online dating when deciding between looks and personality, cat person or dog person, was the biggest dilemma. Gone are those simpler days; enter the era of ‘a little more complicated but a lot better dating experience’. A new set of rules is taking the world of virtual dating by storm, and a survey by India’s fastest-growing dating app, QuackQuack, shows that it is drastically reshaping the way people attract the right match.
The study conducted among 7635 active users between 18 and 35 from Tier 1, 2, and 3 cities showed that weaponized nostalgia, ironic self-loathing in bios and chats, and digital sleuthing are becoming integral parts of virtual dating. Participants were selected from various educational and professional fields, including IT, healthcare and medicine, art and architecture, sales and marketing, and more, for a comprehensive understanding of the latest trends. QuackQuack App’s Founder and CEO, Ravi Mittal, said, “The old rules are slowly being replaced by new ones, and it shows more emotional intelligence in dating, more awareness while finding a partner, leaving as little as possible to fate.”
Nostalgia Bait
Grainy photos, old video cam recordings, and all things that remind people of simpler times are being used to make dating profiles more attractive. 19% of daters from Tier 1 and 2 cities revealed that Nostalgia Baiting is becoming increasingly popular, especially among Gen Z, where they use the psychological sweet spot between 15 and 25 to attract their match’s attention. A quick mention of the early 2000s, a display image in the Y2K era fashion, or adding a collective shared memory of all in the bio is enough to create an emotional bridge, making the person seem relatable and almost familiar. 2 in 5 daters say it works because shared memories make you feel like you know the person already, even before the first chat, and importantly, it serves as the perfect ice breaker. Ajay, from Mangalore, said, “Who wouldn’t want to bond over the shared love for everyone’s favorite cartoon as a kid. It brings so much joy just thinking about how happy we were, and I feel, somewhere, we associate that happiness with the new match.”
The Anti Bio Technic
Daters between 25 and 35 said they are tired of trying to be cool, and it is no longer working on people. A little ironic self-roasting seems to be the new trend. It’s raw, unfiltered, and unapologetically awkward, and over 35% of men and women say that the vulnerability of anti-bio not only helps you find the one who will tolerate you for who you are but also reportedly makes users feel more connected. Rishi, a 26-year-old writer, said, “Positivity fatigue is real; most of us are done being overly positive and perfect. So what if I find joy in self-deprecating jokes? That’s who I am. I want to show my flawed self, the guy who has many issues and even more insecurities. I am human, not a brand.”
Are people underselling themselves?
There was a time when everyone wanted to list all their achievements in an attempt to impress people. But enter Undersell of the Year; 4 in 9 daters between 18 and 28 are intentionally underselling themselves to find someone who can love them at their ‘not worst but not best either’. 21% of women in their 30s say this technique also allows people to be their real selves without trying to match their potential partner’s accomplishments.
Detective Mode Activated
A little bit of stalking is due diligence, says 1758 Gen Z daters from metros and suburbs. The days of asking, “So, what do you do?” are long gone; 47% of daters already scan their potential match’s social media profiles and professional ones too, even before sending the first Hi. Alisha (24) commented, “Call it detective mode or just a coping mechanism of all the ‘dhokas’ we collectively got, this careful sleuthing works. I don’t want to use up my time on someone who doesn’t align with my professional or educational preferences. So I will go ahead and check it beforehand.”