Tawkify’s 2024 Dating Trends & Predictions, According to Matchmakers

As we bid adieu to 2023, now’s a great opportunity to reflect on your dating and relationship life, and consider what’s coming next. Ultimately, how we relate to each other romantically shows up similarly to how we deal with our friends, neighbors and colleagues, and we’ve made some big changes in the past few years. To help singles prepare for 2024, we’ve tapped into the collective wisdom of Tawkify’s matchmaker community, who specialize in the art of finding love in the digital age. Here’s a sneak peek into the dating predictions and trends that are poised to shape the future of dating in 2024. 

1. Embracing Authenticity in a Filtered World

Perhaps somewhere between the embrace of athleisure wear, sex and body positivity, and the de-stigmatization of talk therapy, you might have found an understanding that we don’t need to show up on our dates flawlessly polished. Tawkify matchmakers love to see it, and we’re anticipating a shift towards embracing imperfection and celebrating real, unfiltered connections. Qualities of a good partner are a lot more likely to be found in their head and their words than in their instagram presence, so keep that in mind. 

2. The Rise of Slow Dating

We love our instant gratification, but the wisdom you’ve acquired this year–especially if you’ve been burnt by jumping in too quickly–might help you adjust your pacing in 2024. Date with intention in 2024, and realize that it takes a lot of time (and a lot of ups and downs) to truly get to know your person and establish the understanding of long term compatibility. If you’re wondering how to find love, 2024 might be a great place to realize it’s not exactly found so much as it’s cultivated, and that can take a bit of time.

3. Tech-Assisted Intuition

While technology has become an integral part of modern dating, 2024 will witness a harmonious blend of algorithms and intuition. At Tawkify, we’re helping blaze that trail. AI is here to stay, and filtered searches based on values, lifestyle (and yes, even things like height and income) are a great way to get people closer to finding a compatible match. What’s needed here, though, is a very human, intuitive touch. Human matchmaking mitigates the AI-introduced selection bias from your dating prospects, but we’re certainly not afraid to harness new technologies to streamline the process, with a dash more sensitivity and discernment.

4. Niche Dating Communities

People are living and dating differently than ever before. Lifestyles are changing, families are developing in new ways, work is becoming less tied to geolocation, and the world is becoming more inclusive. When you’re ready to find your person, 2024 will offer more options than any other year to date. The rise of different, interest-specifc dating apps and affinity-based communities provides a space for even the pickiest of us all, though we do recommend keeping an open mind before writing out your laundry list of must-haves. 

5. Mindful Dating Practices

With all of the options out there, we don’t have to hide behind old conventions and traditionalist dating norms. Pairing that with an increase in mental health awareness and the modern privilege of designing our lifestyles, open communication and emotional intelligence are bound to take center stage in a 2024 dating climate. Acknowledging this awesome empowerment, remember that marriage material (if that’s the kind of material you’re looking for) is in the eye of the beholder–and that’s you! 

6. The Decline of Ghosting

Many of our matchmakers are predicting that the rise in self awareness and the understanding of the importance of closure is going to help us phase out ghosting one another. Casual dating and hookup culture is likely here to stay, and that’s okay, too–but after we’ve been burnt a few times, we become much less likely to perpetuate problematic and hurtful behaviors toward the people with whom we’ve been spending our time and our beds.

7. Evolving Gender Roles

Traditional gender roles in dating are evolving, with a move towards greater equality and fluidity. Shifting views on how to find love, work and home life, as well as a wider array of gender expressions and the expectations we have of one another makes dating a lot more dynamic than it once was. It’s hard to feel change when we’re right in the middle of it, but even simple ideas like male paternity leave, or a male-female couple splitting the check, would have been greeted with a lot more skepticism only 10 years ago. 

8. Personal Branding in Dating Profiles

If you’re curating social media or dating profiles to encourage suitors to slide into your DMs (jargon? see dating abbreviations), you’ve already started a personal brand. This concept was borrowed from the marketing world, in which companies realized they had a competitive edge by distinguishing themselves through the use of images, phrases, and through signaling their personality. Fast forward to today, and we’ve got a profile picture up on nearly every platform, often reminding the world that we also have something to say. Even we Tawkify matchmakers are encouraged to provide an informative blurb about the way we think and work as individuals, and in this increasingly present virtual reality, we expect to see even more of it in 2024 and beyond. 

9. Experiential Dating Adventures

Dinner and a movie is a timeless classic and will always have its place, but we’re here to flag it. Dry chicken, costly cocktails, and two hours in silence together might not be your best bet to truly get to know someone. Ax throwing, hiking and biking, arcades, botanical gardens–the sky is the limit in 2024, and if you’ve had enough of the “interview style” dating, and you’re still hoping to date with intention, this coming year might be the perfect “new year, new me” time to shake things up.

10. Dating App Security Measures

Gone are the days of having to roll the dice to make sure you’re not being catfished, or worse, that your match could be dangerous. At Tawkify, we do our due diligence to make sure your matches’ identities are entirely verified, and that they are presenting themselves accurately. We are delighted to see the rest of the industry beginning to follow suit, at very least by using photo ID verification. This kind of accountability provides a much safer dating climate for love-seekers in 2024 and beyond, and it’s very good news.

Wherever the new year takes you, we hope it’s a happy and a healthy one, and we’ll be here along the way!