If the option to meet up with your partner or potential love interest is off the table, why not stay close and connected with virtual dating?
According to OkCupid, more than 90% of its users are dating virtually, with 35 million initial messages sent by singletons in March 2020 alone, 4 million more compared to the same time last year.
1 in 5 relationships now start online, 14 million couples have a long-distance relationship, and there are now 57 million Tinder users around the world.
Although lockdown saw more people date and seek love online through dating apps (and video calls), modern-day technology has generally seen virtual dating become a new way of accessing one another.
Virtual dating has come a long way from simply conversing through video calls. Here are 9 virtual dating ideas that will actually ignite a spark and bring a little fun to your relationship.
Is the bar or pub off the agenda? Why not have your own virtual happy hour at home? If it’s a first date, pour yourself a beverage of your choice, get snuggled up on your sofa, and get talking. According to dating site Bumble, the most popular virtual date was having a chat over a drink or coffee, with 64% saying this would be their ideal online date. If you’re feeling adventurous, take a look at cocktail (or mocktail) recipes online and have fun whipping up delicious drinks with your digital partner. Make it even more enjoyable by seeing who can make it look more professional or replicate it the best. This is the time to relax and enjoy the fact that you have each other’s company, even if you’re physically apart.
Feeling a little romantic? Stage a sexy gourmet dinner date in the comfort of your own abode. Together, look up and decide on a romantic dinner recipe that will tickle your palate. Prop up your phone or laptop in the kitchen, and start cooking while you laugh and chat to one another through the camera. If you’re both a little competitive, why not make the occasion more fun and have your own Masterchef contest? Whoever creates the best visual display on the plate wins. If you want a more relaxed evening, you can order something in; but this time, try ordering a surprise meal for each other. It’s almost as special as making it yourselves, but without all the hard work. Set the mood with some cosy-lit candles and soothing music to enjoy a restaurant-like ambience at home.
Are you a Monopoly champion? What about a Chess whiz? Challenge your partner to an evening of digital games. Luckily, there’s a slew of virtual date games to choose from, with most ‘real life’ games now available online. Check out this list of online games, ranging from Tabletopia for board game lovers, The Escape Room to see how well you solve problems together, or Jackbox Games, which you can screen-share from one device. You can even go a little old-school and resort to classic or simple games and puzzles like Blackjack, quizzes, or even work on a crossword together. Interested in playing a naughty adult game instead? Try the famous card game Cards Against Humanity online, or make the night a little frisky with a sexy striptease game.
Are you both itching to watch a specific movie or TV show? Sit back and get engrossed in some on-screen action together. For a virtual cinema date, you can do this with or without Netflix Party – a popular Chrome extension that allows you to sync your Netflix viewing and chat on the side. You can even talk over the phone or on Discord while you watch. Remember, the type of movie you choose can set the mood for your virtual date. If you’re looking for something light-hearted, a comedy film is a great choice. If you prefer something sexy for a little sense of affection, be prepared for it to influence some physical sensations. Otherwise, it’s a fun way to chill out and have company without the pressure of having to entertain one another; the screen does all the talking.
If you’re both bookworms, having your own book club session can encourage some exciting conversations. This one will need to be planned in advance; choose a book you’re both keen on, set the date for your book club meeting, and come together for a discussion about the characters, key topics, impressions of the author, thoughts about the ending, or any feelings you have towards the book. You can select anything from a fictional story to a self-growth book, or even an erotic narrative to spice up the follow-up conversation. An exclusive book club is a chance to show off your intellectual thinking, opinions and thoughts, and a great way to get to know each other a little better.
We all love to jam to some good ol’ tunes, and you can make this date extra special by creating a playlist on Spotify and sharing it with your partner or love interest over a drink and conversation. Are there any songs that remind you of them? Is there any music that speaks your emotions for you? Alternatively, have your own sound clash, where you take turns in playing a song to each other. Know how to play an instrument? Performing your own songs is even more romantic. Not only can music have a huge effect on your mood, but it can also influence how attractive you are to others and affect first date attraction. A study published in the journal Psychology of Music discovered that having background music enhanced the dating experience, and caused the participants to like each other more and want to date each other more. Music is a lovely way to connect, set a relaxing mood, and learn about each other’s favourite music artists, genres and songs.
If you wish to get to know each other better, there is no better way than with some exciting probing questions. You can both come up with your own list of questions to find out if you’re more compatible than you think, whether it’s about their family, past relationships, or future aspirations. A lighthearted and upbeat way to do this is to spin it into a game or use some online platforms. Take part in an online personality quiz, or the perennial favourite Proust Questionnaire, also used for celebrities in Vanity Fair. There’s also the 36 questions game based on a study by psychologist Arthur Aron that is designed to see if two strangers can fall in love when asking personal questions. If it’s too much for a first date, save it for the third or fourth. A cheeky game of truth or dare can make things excitingly tense, and can be as PG as you want it to be. Truth: when did you last clean your toilet? Dare: show me inside your top drawer.
Love a good boogie? Dim the lights, take turns being the DJ, and dance the night away. Put your phone or laptop on a shelf, dresser table or somewhere you are able to see each other’s dance moves. You can do a dance challenge where you both learn a routine from a style of dance such as salsa or street dance or a certain choreography from a music video/ movie and perform and teach it to one another. Perfecting specific dance tricks is just as fun and you can both show off what you’ve learned. You can even tap into some channels that host DJs playing their music sets late into the night. If you’re looking to have fun and let loose, this will have you both feeling good.
Snuggle up in bed, relax, and just have some intimate pillow talk. Opening up to each other and having a genuine, unguarded, and in-depth conversation with your partner can bring you closer and enhance emotional intimacy. Let your guard down and talk about what you love about each other, recall special moments, share dreams for the future, or anything that makes you both feel happy, safe, and secure. Although pillow talk generally involves kissing, cuddling, caressing, and some sexy talk, doing this through a phone or video call can not only foster feelings of being in love, but can make you yearn for your partner even more. As the old adage goes, absence makes the heart grow fonder, and an intimate conversation can boost activity in the bedroom the next time you get together. If you’re both eager for a little romance, virtual sex is always a bonus after pillow talk.
Interested in giving these virtual date ideas a try? If for whatever reason you can’t meet with your match or other half, our amusing and sexy list will give you the confidence to arrange a virtual date you’ll both love. You can even do a virtual date before an official first meet-up to break the ice, or spontaneously liven up your general Zoom, Skype or FaceTime call with your partner with these entertaining virtual date activities. Once you get the hang of how to have fun together online, you’ll find being physically apart is a little more bearable, and dare we say, can be fun.
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