What the Pandemic Has Done for Dating - The Atlantic
What the Pandemic Has Done for Dating - The Atlantic |
- What the Pandemic Has Done for Dating - The Atlantic
- Best dating sites for 2021 - CNET
- New wave of $600 stimulus checks landing now in bank accounts - OCRegister
- Alto Reed Dies: Bob Seger’s Longtime Sax Player Was 72 - Deadline
| What the Pandemic Has Done for Dating - The Atlantic Posted: 31 Dec 2020 03:30 AM PST  Jeffrey Hall, the director of the Relationships and Technology Lab at the University of Kansas, is not surprised by these promising trends. "When you take a single person who is not getting their social needs met by all of the people who they would normally see outside of their home, they actually have emotional bandwidth to engage in a much deeper way," Hall told me. "So I would guess that slowing down is a representation of a greater level of need, and a lot more energy to be able to invest in those types of conversations." My friend Eric Nentrup, of Indiana, told me that he realized how busy he had been keeping himself before the pandemic, and decided to spend the summer thinking about his life. When he returned to dating this fall, he found "everybody else doing their version of reflection and introspection, grappling with the large issues" and "much more humane, much less superficial dating opportunities." He credits his break with helping him find a promising new romantic connection. Read: How not to tank your relationship in quarantine Even before the pandemic, kindness was the top trait that men and women wanted in a romantic partner. And the importance of kindness seems magnified now, in how people portray themselves and in what they are looking for in a partner. In my own dating, I've seen more signals of kindness on men's profiles since the pandemic. Sometimes the clues are less obvious, such as one man who wore an American Red Cross shirt, but sometimes people directly mention their favorite charitable causes. I asked Melissa Hobley, the global chief marketing officer at OkCupid, whether my impressions match their data. She found that from the spring into the fall, the presence of terms such as caring, compassionate, and empathetic increased 3 percent on OkCupid profiles, along with a 5 percent increase in mentions of volunteer. More dramatic, mentions of donate and donating increased 29 percent from April to June, and another 10 percent from October to November. People may be prioritizing giving because of the pandemic or the national reckoning on racism, but being charitable also may have a nice side effect when it comes to dating. In my scientific research, I've found that people rate those who give their time or money to causes as more physically attractive than those who do not. Since the pandemic began, singles have also been more likely to branch out from their usual type of partner. A friend from Washington, D.C., told me that her new boyfriend is "incredibly funny, warm, sexy, and smart," but unlike her typical partners, "he's not a flashy guy." OkCupid data confirm an increased openness to different partners, showing that people are now more likely, for example, to connect with someone of another religion. But people have notably been less open in one area: In this time of polarization, people are less willing to date someone with different political views. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Best dating sites for 2021 - CNET Posted: 30 Dec 2020 04:00 PM PST  Dating is hard enough even under normal conditions -- add the global pandemic into the mix and it gets even trickier. But while COVID-19 has changed the face of dating as we know it, that doesn't mean that you need to put your relationship ambitions on hold. There are still ways to find a compatible partner, whether you're searching for a someone with whom you can stroll through the park (albeit while staying 6 feet apart) or chat for hours with over video chat, an online dating site or mobile dating apps could be the answer. After all, in these times, where better to find deep, meaningful companionship than on the internet? It's not like virtual dating is a huge step away from the Zoom meetings we've all had to subject ourselves in this strange time. There are lots of good dating website and app options here, whether you're looking to meet new people, try casual dating, find others with shared interests or finally find your ideal match for a long term relationship. I took into consideration everything from each online dating service's dating pool to whether it provides daily matches to whether it's a free dating app or a paid service. A new person that fits your exact dating profile is sure to be out there! Here's an overview of the best dating sites on the market. My recommendations are based primarily on my own experiences in the online dating platform arena as a woman, with some word-of-mouth impressions from friends thrown in for good measure. So what are you waiting for? Sign up for these top dating sites or apps, start chatting and maximize your chances of meeting your perfect match. We'll update this list periodically. The best dating sites
 Bumble is basically Tinder for women... and on a timer. Bumble is a free dating app that requires women to message first. If the guy doesn't message back within 24 hours, he loses the potential dates. Because that's the one thing my love life was really missing: Arbitrary time limits. The timer is designed to encourage contact and some people really do appreciate that feature. But if you're someone who procrastinates, Bumble may not be for you. Because women must message first, Bumble tends to weed out the more insecure males from the dating pool. However, the rate of overly confident men tends to be higher than I've seen on other apps. Bumble also has a BFF feature to help you meet new people, but that's really not our focus, so I'll save it for another time.  Whether you're looking for a casual hookup, potential date, friendship or an LTR (long term relationship), Tinder has you covered. It's basically the first stop for those entering the dating world. If you want to play the odds when it comes to online dating, you need to be swiping where everyone's swiping. On the upside, the profiles are brief, which helps you to make decisions quickly. The downside is that a short dating profile makes it harder to figure out what a lot of people are looking for. Knowing very little about a person can also make initial messaging a lot more challenging. You'll need to wade through a sea of profiles, which makes it easy to pass over people you might have given a chance under different circumstances.  OkCupid, how you confuse me. I have friends who've met their ideal match and even spouses through OkCupid. My last serious relationship came from the OkCupid dating service. In fact, I've been on OkCupid on and off, for roughly the last 11 years. Profiles are a lot more in-depth than most online dating sites and if you answer a seemingly endless series of questions (much like a personality test), they will spit out a reasonable Match/Enemy percentage ratio on profiles to help you gauge compatibility based on interests. Changes in the last few years have made OkCupid a bit more like Tinder (both owned by the same company), focusing more on swiping and eliminating the ability to message a user without matching with them first. Online daters can still send a message -- it just won't show up in the recipient's inbox unless you match. Because who doesn't enjoy sending a thoughtful message to someone who might never see it? However, OkCupid has pointed out that these changes did help lower the number of offensive messages and fake profiles people received, which might be a worthwhile trade-off. Unfortunately in my experience OkCupid has become a bit of an online dating app ghost town.  Hinge finally won me over, becoming my favorite dating app last year. Originally the app focused on common connections and mutual friends that you and a potential partner shared on Facebook, which was a gimmick I was never sold on. But it has since pivoted away from this model. Hinge has designed the app to make user profiles more engaging (and helpful) than on apps like Tinder. You have the option of displaying a lot of useful information that could be deal breakers: Your political leanings, your religion, your alcohol consumption frequency or even your interest level in having children someday. The prompts provided by Hinge make it easy to create more engaging profiles. Hinge's current slogan is "designed to be deleted," so if potential match for a serious relationship is what you're looking for, this is the dating app I would recommend.  Coffee Meets Bagel hopes to offer people better-quality matches by sending curated daily matches, or "bagels," each day at noon. They suggest ice-breakers for first messages and the profiles are more in-depth than Tinder. For people who like a little extra hand-holding, CMB isn't the worst option. However, I found the app confusing to use, with too many features and a lot of gimmicks. I shouldn't have to look up online tutorials to figure out how to use a dating app. Plus why call matches Bagels? I was also disappointed in the notifications, which I found too pushy. CMB was constantly "gently" reminding me to message people I'd matched with. I eventually disabled the app after receiving the following notification: "Show [match name] who's boss and break the ice today!" Should a potential future relationship be rooted in a hierarchical power dynamic? At the end of the day, I have friends who've had the perfect match on CMB, but it isn't one of my favorite online dating apps.  Happn matches you with people who are located nearby. It's a cool concept and helpful for people who want to meet someone in a more organic manner. That said, I've never met a single person who actually uses the app. After signing up, Happn showed me 68 people it said I had crossed paths with in the preceding three hours, though I hadn't left my apartment all day. This might be helpful if you're looking to date your immediate neighbors (or Uber drivers), but I don't see the attraction when competitors like Tinder already show the distance between you and other users. Frankly, if I saw an attractive guy in a coffee shop, I'd just approach him rather than check to see if he's on Happn. The app seems designed for people who don't want to use online dating sites but also don't want to approach people in real life. Pick a lane.  The League is an "elite dating app" that requires you to apply -- and supply your job title, college and LinkedIn profile. Big cities tend to have long waiting lists, so you might find yourself twiddling your thumbs as your application to be one of the elite singles on the app is reviewed. (Of course, you can pay to expedite the process.) The exclusivity can be a draw for some and a turnoff for others, but I'll let you in on a secret: I've seen most of the profiles I come across on The League on other dating apps, too. So at the end of the day, you'll probably see the same faces for potential dates on Tinder, if you aren't deemed elite enough for The League.  Most dating apps are fairly LGBTQ inclusive. Still, it's nice to have an app to call your own. Her is tailored to lesbian, bisexual and queer women. It's a worthy notion -- but the app has some bugs and glitches that made it frustrating to use. Most of my queer female friends have told me they found the app "just OK" and not perfect and that they usually end up back on Tinder or Bumble. Still I checked it regularly for some time and had a few pleasant conversations with actual human beings. Isn't that all we're really looking for in a dating app?  Clover tried to be the on-demand version of online dating sites, letting you order a date much like you would a pizza. It also provides numeric match predictions based on compatibility and interests, though it isn't entirely clear how those numbers are calculated. I was on Clover for quite some time, but had since forgotten it existed until I started to compile this list. It strikes me as a less-successful hybrid of OkCupid and Tinder with a relatively small user base, even though I live in an urban area with plenty of people who use a wide variety of dating apps. Clover says it has nearly 6 million users, 85% of whom are between the ages of 18 and 30.  Plenty of Fish launched in 2003 -- and it shows. The problem I come across over and over again is that POF is filled with bots and scams, even though it may have the most users of any dating app. POF's issues don't mean you won't be able to find love on it, but the odds might be stacked against you. Unless you're into dating bots.  Match.com has a free version, but the general consensus is that you'll need a paid subscription to have any luck. That's a hangover from the early days of online dating sites, when a paid membership to a site meant you were serious about settling down. But my friends and I have long since come to the conclusion that you might be a little too eager to find a significant other or the perfect partner if you pay to get dates, particularly given the abundance of free dating apps. There are definitely paid features on some dating apps that are worth the price, but I've yet to be able to justify shelling out cash for love.  eHarmony was one of the pioneers among online dating sites, and -- while I haven't personally used this one -- we all remember the pitch for online daters, thanks to years of TV commercials: The service matches couples based on "29 dimensions" of compatibility and interests (as determined by a thorough relationship questionnaire and personality test). While you can review the profiles of your prospective matches for free, you'll need to pay to unlock the full features of the service. There's a three-month plan and a six-month plan, and they come with a guarantee: If, after three months of paid membership and communicating with at least five members, you're not satisfied, eHarmony will refund your money. Despite a rocky road that eventually involved a high-profile lawsuit, the site finally added same-sex dating in 2013. I have mixed feelings about using the site myself, but it's at least technically more inclusive now. Have you had a good (or bad) experience with one these services? Do you have any other online dating sites you'd recommend? Share your experiences in the comments or on social media. Looking for love? Read these next | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| New wave of $600 stimulus checks landing now in bank accounts - OCRegister Posted: 30 Dec 2020 11:09 AM PST  The $600 payments coming from the latest round of coronavirus aid are landing in banking accounts this week and next, according to the U.S. Treasury Department. The second round of Economic Impact Payments started Tuesday night and will continue into the New Year, the Internal Revenue Service and Treasury said in a statement. Paper checks were mailed Wednesday, Dec. 30. The IRS said there is no action required to receive the new payment, which was funded by the $900 billion Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021. Many recipients will see the direct deposits as pending, the IRS said, or as provisional payments in their accounts before the official payment dates of Jan. 1-4, 2021. Others will receive a check or a debit card. If more money is approved by Congress, the IRS said the EIPs that have been issued "will be topped up as quickly as possible." President Donald Trump and Democrats in Congress have been pushing for $2,000 stimulus checks, but the effort was mostly dead after Sen. Mitch McConnell refused to consider the extra money and instead proposed another bill that layered in new provisions in addition to COVID-19 relief. As for those who didn't get an EIP this year – either the first or the second payment – they can claim it when filing 2020 taxes in 2021. "The IRS urges taxpayers who didn't receive a payment this year to review the eligibility criteria when they file their 2020 taxes; many people, including recent college graduates, may be eligible to claim it," the IRS said. The second round of payments, or "EIP 2," is $600 for singles and $1,200 for married couples filing a joint return. Recipients with qualifying children also will receive $600 for each qualifying child. Dependents age 17 and older are not eligible for the child payment, the IRS said. The first round of stimulus payments, which were $1,200 per adult plus $600 for qualifying children, went out in April. For more details on the stimulus payment, go to irs.gov. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alto Reed Dies: Bob Seger’s Longtime Sax Player Was 72 - Deadline Posted: 30 Dec 2020 02:16 PM PST Alto Reed, who played saxophone for multiplatinum Bob Seger's Silver Bullet Band for nearly half a century, died Wednesday of colon cancer. He was 72. Seger posted a note about his "lifelong friend and bandmate" on social media: "He was amazing – he could play just about anything," he wrote. "In our band, he was the rock star." Read the full post below.
Born Thomas Cartmell in Detroit in 1948, Reed was known for his showmanship onstage and his signature sax riff on "Turn the Page." He first started playing with Seger in the early 1970s, played on its Back in '72 albums and joined the band for its first headlining arena shows at Detroit's Cobo Hall. By 1974, he was a full-fledged member of the Silver Bullet Band, which was about to break nationally with "Live" Bullet (1976), which was recorded at Cobo Hall and featured a scorching version of the Reed-fueled "Turn the Page" that remains a staple on classic rock radio. Metallica covered the song on its 1998 album Garage Inc., with a guitar riff subbing for the sax. Related StoryNotable Hollywood & Entertainment Industry Deaths In 2020: Photo GalleryReed joined Seger and several other longtime bandmates for a 2018-19 farewell tour, during which he played the familiar guitar riff from "Mainstreet" on sax. His horn also helped drive such Seger classics as "Rock and Roll Never Forgets" and the 1978 hit "Old Time Rock and Roll." He was part of the band during its 1970s and '80s heyday, playing on the multiplatinum albums Beautiful Loser, Night Moves, Stranger in Town, Against the Wind — which was No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for six weeks in 1980 — and the 1981 live set Nine Tonight. The single "Against the Wind" won the group it only Grammy, for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group, and also scored a second nom that year. The group scored eight consecutive Top 10 discs from 1976-94, including Greatest Hits, which has sold more than 10 million units in the U.S. alone. The band's The Distance, Like a Rock, The Fire Inside, Face the Promise and Greatest Hits 2 also sold at least 1 million units, and 1996's It's a Mystery went gold. Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band also racked up seven Top 10 singles, ranging from the 1976 classic "Night Moves" to the group's lone chart-topper, "Shakedown," from the 1987 film Beverly Hills Cop II. The title cut from Like a Rock peaked at No. 12 in 1986 but became nearly as familiar as any of the group's songs as the featured cut in a long-running TV ad campaign for Chevrolet trucks during the 1990s and early 2000s. Seger was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004, but his Silver Bullet Band was not recognized. Along with his Seger work, Reed performed with such acts as Little Feat, Foghat, Dave Mason, Spencer Davis, Grand Funk Railroad, Ted Nugent, the Blues Brothers, George Thorogood and the Motor City Horns. He also co-fronted the Reed & Dickinson Band with Steve Dickinson. Reed is survived by daughters Chelsea Reed Radler and Victoria Reed and their spouses; his partner, Christiana Van Ryn; her daughter, Sophia Van Ryn; and sister Nancu Neumann. In lieu of flowers, Reed's family requested that donations in his name be made to Detroit Symphony's Detroit Harmony Fund. Related Deadline Video: |
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