Dating during lockdown
Frank Mckenna
Q1: What percentage of people in the UK DON’T live in a couple?
1st UK lockdown: March 23rd - May 10th
2nd UK lockdown: October 31st- Dec 1st
3rd UK lockdown (70% of areas): Dec 30th - ? (target is April 26th)
When the UK enters lockdown you aren’t allowed to socialize with people outside of your household.
Q2: How did single people feel about this?
Q3: How did couples who don’t live together with feel about this?
Q4: Where was the new popular date spot?
How would you make a date there more fun or romantic?
Q5: If a couple decided to secretly meet each other, how did they feel?
Q6: In Europe which 2 countries allowed a lockdown EXEMPTION for going on dates?
Belgium - France - Germany - Italy
In Belgium they called it knuffelcontact (= hug buddy)
In August 2020 France allowed international unmarried couples to meet in France even during the pandemic.
Q: Why did they do this?
Q: How could you prove you were a long-term couple?
The government said: “Love is not tourism” and wanted people to enjoy being in love
You had to provide EVIDENCE: photos, letters, e-mails
40%
Single people felt it was unfair because it became illegal to go on dates with anyone! Many secretly went on dates but they couldn’t tell anyone.
Couples who didn’t live together had to suddenly choose: 1) should we stay living apart and never see each other? or 2) Shall we move in together?
the park
Many couples didn’t agree about secretly dating. If one person wanted to meet, but the other didn’t want to break the rules it was a problem. You learned who didn’t mind breaking rules.
sources:
https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2021/feb/11/we-are-desperate-for-human-contact-the-people-breaking-lockdown-to-have-sex