Infla-Dating, OnlyPlans, And Funny-Bone-Ing: Dating Expert Predicts The Biggest Dating Trends Of 2023

You might be aware of some of the topmost dating trends for this year — Conscious Swiping and Sober Dates being two of them, according to The Knot — or maybe you've heard of the damaging and dishonest trend called Cushioning that you should be watching out for. 

Each year brings with it new norms in the dating world. While the basic principles of romance — meet someone you're attracted to, get to know them, etc. — remain the same, the way we go about this exchange seems to be evolving with time. The trends associated with dating are largely influenced by the society we live in, the type of communication channels we use, and even political factors, according to Stacker.  

The coming year is not going to be any different. In fact, according to The List's exclusive chat with online dating platform Plenty of Fish's resident dating expert Kate MacLean, 2023 has a few big dating trends we can look forward to. 

It doesn't take a lot other than scrolling through the news each morning to understand that the pandemic and resulting challenges have left many countries battling inflation right now, and dating is not immune to its effects. 

In fact, a survey released by online lending marketplace LendingTree found that more and more Americans are wishing they had more money to go on dates, going into debt because of their dating habits, or just choosing to go on fewer dates, according to Cision PR Newswire. Expert on dating Kate MacLean shares that Infla-Dating is going to be one of the biggest trends in 2023 because of this. "Singles will be going on less expensive dates, including nearly half (48%) of single Millennials and Gen-Z who have already suggested going on budget-friendly dates," she explained.

Have you been on the receiving end of someone who makes plans with you but also seems to cancel them with equal fervor? Or maybe you're the one doing the planning and cancelling. According to MacLean, we're going to be seeing a lot more of that — the OnlyPlans trend — in 2023 as well. "Singles are still navigating the ever-changing dating environment in a post-COVID world, and so whether it's a last minute 'work emergency,' a sudden need to babysit a friend's pet or the classic, 'too much traffic,' 52% of singles have experienced a situation of a date repeatedly canceling at the last minute," she shares. 

The power of humor when it comes to attracting a mate has been talked about and studied for years, per The University of Kansas, despite how much the dating game has changed through history. It is often rated as one of top most characteristics singles look for in potential partners, per Inquisitive Mind. Perhaps this is why Funny-Bone-ing is another big dating trend we can expect to see in 2023. 

"Since 60% percent of singles said that they're more likely to respond to the first message they receive from a potential match if it's funny, we coined the term Funny-Bone-ing, or being attracted to someone for their sense of humor," shared Plenty of Fish dating expert Kate MacLean. Being funny has even been linked to a person's intelligence (via Huffpost). In his book "The Mating Mind", psychologist and professor Geoffrey Miller argues that being able to say something funny actually takes a lot — a keen understanding of their audience, creativity, and language skills. 

Dating app Plenty of Fish has even created an in-app card game titled Cue'd Up to celebrate the trend of Funny-Bone-ing. "At the end of the day, settling for something less than what you're searching for will only lengthen your dating journey," adds MacLean.