Check Out These Dating Trends Forecasted for 2023

Over the past few years, the dating landscape has shifted in unexpected ways. From the negative impact of inflation on dating to the divisive effects of the political climate, singles around the country have been forced to adapt and adjust to cultural nuances that impact their dating lives. With a plethora of podcast hosts speaking on dating and every other day a recycled topic of how dating should be, singles are looking for ways to meet their soulmates and fall in love. The folks at Match Group’s community apps predict more changes are coming.

To prepare daters for 2023, Jonathan Kirkland from Match Group’s BLK has put together his predictions for the dating trends we will see in 2023.

1. Entre-dating: New research has revealed that entrepreneurship is on the rise, especially amongst Black Americans. Additionally, of the new BLK profile stickers, “Black Business Owner” was one of the most commonly used on the dating app. In 2023, we will see a rise of what Jonathan Kirkland is calling “entre-dating” or dating someone who has similar business interests and entrepreneurial passions, with hopes of going into business together.
   

2. 420 Club: In 2022, BLK released profile stickers that allowed users to share various interests such as “HBCU grad” or “Black Business Owner.” Of all profiles that have stickers, 1 out of 4 is “420 Friendly.” - making it the most utilized sticker by far. According to Kirkland, this indicates that we will see a rise in daters being more open and expressive about their views on cannabis.
   

3. Festival Flings: In 2023, more singles will use black dating apps people to make connections ahead of and during major music festivals and events like AfroPunk, Essence Festival, and Made in America. According to Jonathan Kirkland, we will also see more festivals and event organizations partnering with dating apps to increase connectivity amongst festival-goers.
   

4. We Got (Policy) Issues: Black Americans are becoming more intentional and vocal about tackling issues to dismantle racism and build Black political, social, and economic power. In fact, this year BLK users were especially active during the 2022 midterm elections via partnerships with When We All Vote and Power the Polls. Over 2800 BLK users signed up to be poll workers in the midterm elections. That's more than double the number of signups we saw from our users in the 2020 election. In 2023, we will see an increase in Black daters connecting over policy issues like homeownership (91% of BLK users said this was one of their Top 3 policy issues in 2022), closing the wealth gap (83%), and gun control (75%).
   

5. Do You, Boo: According Match Group’s recent “Singles in America” survey, 41% of Gen-Z singles are open to dating someone who is transgender. In fact, “sexual fluidity,” (when your sexual orientation isn't fixed) has been on the rise, with more and more singles identifying as “pansexual.” In 2023, Kirkland believes that the traditional rigid definitions of sexuality are out the window, and the younger generations will begin to embrace and accept a ‘never say never’ approach to dating and sex.
   

6. Skip the Games / Natural Beauty “Be You Boo”: There is a complex relationship between Black women and their beauty routines and practices. The debate around “wearing wigs vs showcasing natural hair” or “how much makeup is too much makeup” will always be a topic of conversation. However, in 2023, we will see women embracing their natural beauty and showcasing this on their dating app profile photos. In fact, “Locs” and “Natural Hair” were the 3rd and 5th most used stickers in 2022, respectively.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Match Group's BLK