#Third of online daters have said ‘I love you’ before meeting

No one ever said love at first sight had to involve actually meeting.

This is true of about one-third of British singles, who admitted in a recent survey that they’d confessed their love to someone they met online during the coronavirus pandemic — before ever seeing them in person.

The poll also estimated an average of 13 virtual dates among the 2,000 adults who participated in the questionnaire — a promotional study by contact-lens provider Vision Direct. More than half of the daters in question affirmed their belief that “love at first sight” is possible online.

“Dating during lockdown is really good for everyone’s mental and emotional health,” relationship psychologist Becky Spelman, who partnered with Vision Direct for the report, said in a statement to SWNS.

Spelman called internet dating “a welcome reminder that romance, attraction and love haven’t gone away just because we’re all stuck at home, and those are all things we need more of.”

Respondents also provided insight as to why digital dating worked for them, with reasons including the money and time they saved doing virtual dates.

“Dating someone new during lockdown is one of the most positive things that anyone can do,” Spelman added.

However, the dreaded awkward silence remains a top concern during dates regardless of setting.

It seems Brits have accepted the new norm of online dating, as nearly half in the survey agreed that the medium would soon supplant the live meet-cute. Compare that to the US, where just over 1 in 10 adults (12%) told Pew researchers last year that they had found a long-term partner or spouse online.