In the whimsical waltz of 2023, where hearts donned their most vibrant hues, India's dating saga unfolded like a Bollywood blockbuster, complete with drama, dance, and a sprinkle of rebellion. As the curtains drew to a close, the dating landscape, as revealed by Tinder's Year in Swipe report wasn't a scripted love story but a dance floor pulsating with rhythm.
The prevalent vibe was all about positivity, optimism, and self-betterment through meaningful connections, with the most-used emoji (🔛) reflecting this ‘always on’ attitude. Powerful anthems by Taylor Swift, Miley, and Rihanna became the soundtrack of love. In 2023, singles embraced ‘main character energy,’ ditching relationship labels for memorable experiences, resulting in two major trends: N.A.T.O Dating and Dating For The Plot.
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The year embraced the philosophy of Not Attached To an Outcome (N.A.T.O) Dating. Unfolding without the weight of expectations, globally over a quarter (27%) of 18-25-year-olds using Tinder’s Relationship Type feature said they are ‘open to exploring,’ and 22% using the Relationship Goals feature say they are ‘still figuring it out.’ In India, a similar trend emerged where a quarter (25%) are also open to exploring, and 65% are still figuring it out.
Singles embraced a refreshing narrative: Dating For The Plot. No longer slaves to the grand finale, singles transformed into authors of their own romantic sagas globally, with a 5.5x increase in users using the term in bios like, “Everything I do is for the plot, let’s make some memories."
“This year we witnessed a shift in dating with young singles becoming the authors of their own romantic narratives. For them, it was more about letting experiences unfold naturally without the weight of expectations, rigid plans, and labels," said Dr Chandni Tugnait, life coach and relationship expert.
While the dating landscape flirted with a bit of ‘delulu,’ it was a dance well aware of its steps. In fact, as per Tinder data, mentions of delulu started trending in Tinder bios, both globally and in India in Feb 23, and peaked in Sept 23, growing 58x globally and 100x in India with bio examples such as “If you are delulu, I’m your solulu,” “Tall, dark and delulu,” “Turn my delulu into trululu.”
In the grand tapestry of connections, time emerged as the most precious currency. With a focus on mindful dating, over 50% of young singles globally and in India preferred the love style of ‘time together’ over other romantic endeavours.
The dating symphony wasn’t just about love; it was an ode to feminine energy. Global icons like Taylor Swift, Miley, and Rihanna led the love anthem. Taylor Swift was crowned the top Spotify artist on Tinder, Miley’s revenge bop Flowers was the fourth most popular anthem added to profiles, and Rihanna fans showered her with support with a 52% spike in her songs being added to profiles following her performance at the big game.
Most attractive interests in India included makeup, cafe hopping, self-care, skincare, and Pinterest. Top social causes in India embraced LGBTQIA+ rights, the climate crisis, animal rights, mental health, and the environment. Popular local cities for Indians included Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Pune, while international favourites were London, New York, Los Angeles, Bangkok, and Amsterdam. The top dating mantra in India emphasised authenticity, no labels, belief in equality, alignment of political and social views, and emotional availability.
In India, coffee dates, concerts, stand-up, movie nights, and arcades ranked as the top date activities. Social media trends on Tinder in India featured alphabet dating, delulu humor, ‘He's a 10 but,’ Roman Empire, and men written by women. The playlist of the year in India showcased songs by Taylor Swift, AUR, Morgan Wallen, Mitski, and Zach Bryan with Kacey Musgraves.
