Study Shows A Huge Number Of People In Relationships Joining Dating Sites And Singles Attempting Reconnection With Exes During Covid-19

As lockdown continues, people are craving intimacy and connection in isolation — and some are going to extremes to get it.

Forty-two percent of Americans in relationships have downloaded a dating app since the start of COVID-19, according to a new study of 1,000 people in relationships not quarantining with their partner.

A shocking 52 percent of those with a partner have still signed up for dating websites in these unprecedented times.

The survey also polled 1,000 single Americans and examined the realities of romance amid a pandemic.

Dating apps aren’t the only way couples are stepping out ‒ a third of those in a relationship have reached out to an ex. Results revealed 37 percent of singles have also attempted to reconnect with an ex.

The most common methods for getting in touch with old flames were Facebook (61 percent), WhatsApp (48 percent), Twitter (47 percent) and a phone call (46 percent).

People in relationships were 40 percent more likely to use Instagram to sneakily slide into an ex’s DMs than a single person.

The survey, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of LELO, revealed connecting with a former partner could very well lead to a backslide.

Of those single people who reached out to an ex, one in two say it reignited a flame with that person.

Respondents in relationships who are talking to an ex might be planning on making up since 54 percent say this new connection has them catching feelings again.

With so many people seeking the comfort of former lovers, it’s no surprise that two-thirds of all respondents confessed to feeling extra lonely during COVID-19 isolation.

Sixty-seven percent admitted social distancing has even increased their cravings for physical intimacy.

The desire for romance is so strong that many are even willing to lower their standards.

Six in 10 said they would talk to someone outside their “usual type” during this time of loneliness.

With in-person dates and bar meetups out of the question, people are turning to technology to find a love connection.

Two in five (42 percent) singles have downloaded a dating app or signed up to an online dating website (41 percent).

“It’s only natural people are missing the intimacy they had prior to the pandemic. All the things we took for granted are now conspicuously missing from our lives,” said LELO’s Global Marketing Director Luka Matutinovic.

“The effect this has had on our society is most prominently visible in the new ways we seek out safe interaction and even in the ‘lowering’ of our standards in dating.

“LELO has seen an increase in sex toy sales of over 185 percent compared to the same period last year and it’s only logical — with so much alone time, separated from our present and potential loved ones, many people decide to focus on the things they can control, such as their own bodies and their own pleasure.”

Nearly three in 10 (27 percent) of singles have gone on a virtual date since the spread of COVID-19 in the US.

The average person thinks it’s acceptable to ask someone out on a virtual date three days after their first contact.

Three in four think virtual dates are good for human interaction — but are not the same as in-person dates.

In an effort to look good for the virtual date, respondents are still making an effort to clean up their quarantine selves.

Half will be washing their face and hair before a virtual meet-up and two in five will dig up a fresh shirt for the occasion.

“There will be lasting consequences to this crazy period in our lives, but when it comes to sex and pleasure, hopefully, they will be good ones,” added Matutinovic. “With so many of us turning inwards and exploring our own bodies and sexual needs, we might end up being more comfortable with ourselves, our physical and mental needs.

“Who knows, perhaps the real dialogue about sexual wellbeing and the importance of self-acceptance when it comes to sex and pleasure finally finds its way into the mainstream. It’s a battle LELO has been fighting for years.”

Percentage of respondents that have…

1. Downloaded a dating app
   Single: 42 percent
   In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 42 percent
2. Signed up for a dating website
   Single: 41 percent
   In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 52 percent
3. Gone on a virtual date
   Single: 27 percent
   In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 41 percent
4. Reached out to an ex
   Single: 37 percent
   In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 33 percent
5. Reignited a spark with an ex
   Single: 50 percent
   In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 54 percent
6. Had a virtual date with an ex
   Single: 68 percent
   In a relationship, but not quarantining together: 65 percent

Methods to reach out to exes

1. Facebook: 61 percent
2. WhatsApp: 48 percent
3. Twitter: 47 percent
4. Phone call: 46 percent
5. Instagram: 45 percent
6. Email: 43 percent
7. Text messaging: 42 percent

Virtual date prep

1. Wash my face: 53 percent
2. Wash my hair: 48 percent
3. Put on a nice shirt: 41 percent
4. Brush my hair: 36 percent
5. Shave facial hair: 34 percent
6. Put on pants: 33 percent
7. Find good lighting: 33 percent
8. Clean my room/space: 30 percent
9. Test camera: 29 percent
10. Shave my legs: 24 percent

Article originally published on NYPost.