Winter blues can ruin your dating! Avoid these 3 behaviours on dating apps

As the air grows chillier and the days grow shorter, a peculiar loneliness begins to settle, prompting many to swipe on dating apps in pursuit of warm matches. Yet, paradoxically, the same winter blues seem to send dating behaviour spiralling south this season.
Ravi Mittal, Founder and CEO of dating app QuackQuack, shared in an interview with HT, “The notorious ‘winter blues’ are setting in, bringing with it a sharp turn in dating behaviour; there’s a significant rise in vulnerability, confusion and rush among daters. These behaviours are temporary and more importantly, there are easy and permanent fixes for them.”
He pointed out that seasonal affective disorder is responsible for the scroll and disconnect syndrome among daters. The feelings of lethargy and low mood are due to the shorter days and low sunlight.
Ravi Mittal listed out some dating behaviours to watch out for that may be inadvertently occurring with the influence of winter blues –
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Winters make people more socially withdrawn. Some even tend to go into the ‘hibernation phase’ and end up unintentionally and temporarily ghosting their matches. The despondency of being unable to find ‘the one’ in yet another year can be exhausting, draining the energy required to keep up and strike conversations with existing matches on dating apps. The energy level goes down in the winter season and even online socialisation feels like a task.
Ravi Mittal elaborated, “It’s not like people suddenly stop being interested in their match; it’s just that their serotonin levels are hibernating. They might not have the social battery to interact. It’s a classic ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ situation. The best way to tackle it is to give them their space and stay connected with light and mini conversations like ‘What did you do today?’ Another easy way to combat these seasonal ghosts is to steer clear of rapid-fire questions like ‘What are your thoughts on kids?’ or ‘Where do you see yourself in five years?’”
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With the energy levels dropping, lethargy dictates the monotonous online behaviour- endlessly scrolling. To uplift their spirit and spruce up their dating life with some warmth, young people turn to dating apps but ironically there too they get stuck in this spiral of doom swiping, avoiding committing to any single match and keep on swiping.
Ravi Mittal advised on how to approach this endless swiping on dating behaviour. He said, “This trend is very common among our 25+ daters. After a 30-minute non-stop scrolling session, every profile blurs together into one giant ball of disappointment. To avoid this, it’s recommended to set small goals – browse the app for 20 minutes; if you don’t find someone compatible, come back the next day. Have a meaningful conversation with one person instead of focusing on the number of matches. It makes the dating experience more satisfying and also manageable. Statistics show that a single genuine connection can do a lot more to banish the blues than chasing the number.”
The cold season fills up single people with this compulsive urge to hop into a relationship to spend those lonely cold months in the warmth of someone’s arms. However, this is a serious pressure and can lead to a panic-like situation among daters. Ravi Mittal explained, “Do not let the cuffing season ruin your compatibility streak. It’s true that there’s a notable increase in FOMO among daters but merely taking some more time to get to know a match can save you the regret. The result of rushed matches may lead to new year regrets. Setting realistic goals, like aiming to find some matches to genuinely connect with, instead of prioritising convenience and competing with committed peers, can help avoid heartbreak and also save you from carrying the blues to the new year.”
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