Will COVID-19 lockdown change our concept of dating and relationships?

The pandemic has unleashed a world of change and some have adapted to these changes to survive while others are struggling to come to terms with it. People in love, particularly those in a long-distance relationship, are doing their best to find their moments of joy and romance amidst the norm of social distancing and lockdown. While some, who are with their partner or spouse, are experiencing problems in their relationship that they have never encountered. All this had made us wonder if the COVID-19 lockdown will change our concept of dating and relationships. When we asked people to share their opinion on the same, here's what they said.

"The situation is not as simple as people are still assuming it to be. Many of us are waiting for the lockdown to be over. But have we ever wondered how it will help us? For example, asymptomatic people carry the virus without showing any signs of the symptoms that other infected people show. In such a case, how do you know that the person you are meeting for a date doesn't have the virus? This will make dating a new person a big challenge." shared Arush Verma, a student.

"After staying indoors with my wife for more than a month now, I have realised how easy it is for us to get into each other's nerves. We have fought over issues that otherwise go unnoticed. The lockdown has proved to us that no matter how romantic or perfect our relationship is, staying indoors with your partner is not a ball game. Yes, the Coronavirus has taught us some important lessons related to life and relationship," said Jatin Yadav, an entrepreneur.

"My wife had gone to visit her parents in Assam before the lockdown started. Since all flights were suspended suddenly, she is stuck there while I am spending my time in Delhi all alone. We had a fight before she left for Assam. The lockdown has given me the opportunity to miss her and realise how important she is for me. We used to fight over such trivial issues. I am sure if we survive the pandemic it will make our relationship with our near and dear ones stronger," said Sagar Jain.

"I stay in Delhi with my husband while my aging parents stay alone in Chennai. During the lockdown, one thought has been haunting me—what if my parents have a medical emergency and if I cannot reach them when they need me the most. My husband and I left our old parents in our hometown because we had better job opportunities in Delhi. This situation had made us wonder if we did the right thing. The first thing we would do after the lockdown is over and we are allowed to travel is to visit our parents. We have even started contemplating to return to our hometown," shared S. Revathi, a software engineer.

"So far as dating is concerned, we can now rely on only online dating. There are already many reports on how people are using online dating services during the quarantine. There was also news about an extramarital dating service provider claiming an increase of subscribers during the lockdown. Whether people agree to it or not, online dating is the future," said Harikesh Tiwari, a student.

(All images used here are representational)