Dating During A Pandemic

     During the first few months of the pandemic and further into the year, many romantic relationships faced challenges from the circumstances. In the first few months, it was difficult for anyone to socialize in-person because everyone had to stay in quarantine and away from others to prevent the spread of COVID-19. People couldn’t go out for dates because restaurants, malls, parks, and other places were shut down. As a result, many people found it hard to see or talk to their partners during the pandemic. For the sake of confidentiality, some names have been left out.

     One freshman, Jazmin Pavia, said that “The most difficult thing about it was not seeing each other.  I have not seen him for about six months and most of the time, I facetime and text him.” Another student, a junior, agreed. “During the pandemic, the most difficult part about it was not being able to see him frequently as I would like to. I would say that I’ve gone a good four months without seeing him but now I see him once every 2-3 weeks.” Another junior also said that “The most difficult parts were the times when we see each other because, even if we were in the pandemic, I was focused on my family and he was with his family. However, we still made time to text each other and sometimes facetime. I went without seeing him in-person for a good 5 months. I have strict parents but I did miss him.” 

     Most students who were in a relationship during the pandemic would spend hours texting, facetiming, or calling their partners to reach out and see how they were doing. Social media like Snapchat and Instagram were also invaluable for staying in touch. Along with talking to their partners, many also used their phones to contact their family members and friends.  As COVID-19 restrictions tighten again, distanced communication methods such as phone calls, texts, and social media have proven themselves to be almost essential for communicating with people outside of your home. Although these are troubled and even lonesome times, technology has made it possible to safely reconnect with people that we would not be able to see otherwise.