Love in lockdown: how the pandemic affects dating and relationships for emerging adults

Abstract

The longform feature article documents how young people navigate dating and relationships during the COVID-19 pandemic. During this time in their lives, young adults are meant to explore their identity and find out who they are and who they want to surround themselves with. They can meet lifelong friends at college and even find their lifelong partner. But, for the most part, socialization has been put on hold this past year due to COVID-19. Finding a new romantic partner seemed especially difficult with strictly online dating platforms. Social distancing guidelines made the prospect of safely going on dates nearly impossible. Those already in relationships faced the challenges of maintaining a long-distance connection when they might have only lived a block away from each other. Others felt trapped with only the company of their partners during stay-at-home orders. The article addresses these challenges with expert insight from psychologists who provide advice and hope for the future of young love.