DATING APP Tinder has revealed its ten biggest dating trends of 2022.
In its annual Year in Swipe report, the company delved into new relationship labels, sober dating trends and the hot new emojis popping up in chats.
Read on to find out what they were.
1. Young singles are owning the situationship as a valid relationship status
Tinder found that young singles were open to 'playing the field' this year, and so opted for what has in recent years become 'situationships'.
Situationships, a casual term, are somewhere between a fling and a traditional relationship and came to rise in 2022. Tinder saw a 49% increase in members adding the phrase to their bios with young single saying they prefer situationships as a way to develop a relationship with less pressure.
2. Positivity was a major plus
Originally known as the parking symbol, 🅿 has been repurposed to represent 'Pushin P' and was the number one trending emoji globally on Tinder this year. An interesting shift from the trending emojis of years past ( 🤦in 2019, 🤷in 2020, and 👀in 2021), members turned to 🅿 to let the world - and their matches - know ‘positivity’ and honesty was what they were looking for.
3. The dinner date could soon be dead
It seems the creative date activities we took to during the pandemic are here to stay. Mentions of “Picnics” (43%), "Mini Golf" (56%) and “Drive-Ins” (34%) in Tinder bios all increased this year, suggesting that singles are meeting up for more than just dinner and drinks these days. They’re opting for less traditional, more authentic and sober ways to get to know one another.
4. More singles are raising a glass to sober dates
Alcohol-free dates have become a way for singles to be more authentic on dates and challenge traditional dating norms. Over 25% of surveyed young singles on Tinder said they drink less on dates compared with last year 2 and, when describing their drinking habits, 72% of Tinder members said they don’t drink or only drink occasionally on their profiles.
Man using mobile phone
5. Being funny, fresh and forward was a plus
A sense of humor was what members looked for most when reading a potential matches profile, and 73% 2 of surveyed young singles, across all genders, said they were looking for someone who is clear about what they want and has good hygiene. When asked what the most important characteristics are in a potential date, young singles prioritized value-based qualities like loyalty (79%), respect (78%) and open-mindedness (61%) over looks (56%).
6. Opinions on social issues could be make-or-break
Three-quarters (75%) singles were looking for a match who is respectful of or invested in social issues. In fact, so many Tinder members added the Ukrainian flag to their profiles in support of the country this year, that it ranked within the top 10 trending emojis on the app at one point.
In the US, election issues such as reproductive rights, gun policies and education ranked high on he list of concerns motivating you US-based singles to votes this year.
7. Nostalgia was trendy
Young singles are getting inspiration from 90s and noughties dating trends. The fastest growing Interests on Tinder were blasts from the past like 90’s Kid, Anime, and Sneakers.
Even everyone’s favourite new old song, Kate Bush’s 'Running Up That Hill' made a comeback and was in the top 10 Spotify Anthems noted on Tinder profiles.
A good chant-up line can work wonders [Picture: iStock]8. The red flag and gaslighting emojis were on trend
Toxic relationships aren’t new, but all of the tips and psychoanalysis posts on social media show that young singles are more clued up about the good, the bad and the ugly when it comes to dating.
Over half (58%) of surveyed young singles said they were confident they could identify a green or red flag 2 when dating. In 2022, singles have finally had enough and are dishing on what they consider red and green flags.
9. Travel was back
After two pandemic-filled trips around the sun, singles were finally able to get back to exploring new horizons with fewer or no restrictions. On average, young singles used Tinder’s Passport feature, which allows them to look at singles in various locations around the world, with top destinations including London, Tokyo and Seoul.
10. Singles looked to star signs
Star signs were the most popular type of descriptor added to Tinder profiles behind smoking preferences, pets and diet. Leos, Scorpios and Cancers were the signs most likely to include their sign on their profiles, and surprisingly, all star signs were most likely to match with the exact same zodiac sign.
