In the early 20th century, it was commonplace that dating included a third wheel.

This third wheel acted as a chaperone. Gentlemen callers almost exclusively would spend time with the woman they were courting in her parent’s home. They would listen to the radio, play games, and dine together all under the watchful eye of a doting mother or relative. Only after a marriage proposal was offered would the couple be granted their privacy.

Just a century later and dating has changed quite a bit. Chaperones were done away with in the 20s, free love prospered in the 60s and online dating was popularized in the 2010s.

Recently, tech, gender equality, and stagnant wages have all had their impact on the landscape of dating in America giving rise to new dating trends.

So how will these cultural shifts change dating trends in 2020?

Dating Trends in 2020

A Sexless Year

14% of Americans ages 18-29 reported not having sex in 1989. Since then, Americans have become more liberal in their sexual views, more people have populated the planet, and dating apps have made it easier than ever to hookup.

Despite such progress, 23% of Americans ages 18-29 reported not having sex in 2018. That number is expected to increase this year.

But why?

A 2016 study found that “increased broadband access explains at least 7% of the decline in the teen birth rate between 1999 and 2007.” This study -along with a host of others- argues that the internet satisfies many of our basic social needs.

We don’t need to entertain ourselves by meeting up with friends because we can just binge watch TV on a Friday night. Sex with another isn’t necessary because we’ve got porn to satisfy our sexual urges. There’s no need to meet up with friends because we get all the social gratification we need from social media.

Accessibility to technology is just one reason why Americans will have less sex in 2020 than they did in 2019, but it’s not the only one.

It’s fair to say that sex is a fairly intimate act.

There’s a reason most opt to have sex indoors with the curtains shut rather than in a public park. To get in the mood we need to be in the right environment.

But a 2014 study found that 35% of men ages 18-34 don’t have access to that environment. That’s because 35% of men this age still live with their parents.

Stagnant wages, a lack of high paying jobs, and rising real estate prices mean more men and women are sleeping in their childhood home than ever before. Who in the right mind is going to have sex with a woman right above their parents’ bedroom?

Young men and women use their parents’ homes as lifevests to keep them afloat. But even those that have enough money to move out don’t suddenly start having freaky deeky sex.

The median age of an American when they first get married has been getting pushed back since the 1950s. A married man younger than 29 is now seen as outside the norm.

Student debt, low wage jobs, and rising rent prices are seeing more and more Americans put their romantic lives on pause. More often than not young Millennials are opting to stay in with a few close friends than go out.

Sure Americans in general will be having less sex this year, but that doesn’t mean you need to be part of this sexless statistic.

More Interracial Couples

Before 1967 marrying someone outside of your race was illegal. The Supreme Court ruling of Loving v Virginia changed how we date in America. Nowadays, 17% of all marriages are interracial.

Depending on where you’re located in the US that number changes. 31% of marriages that took place in the Las Vegas metropolitan area between 2011-2015 were interracial. That percentage is more or less the same for residents in Anchorage, San Diego, Fayetville, and Palm Bay.

More liberal attitudes, migration patterns, education, and online dating are all factors that contribute to this shift in romantic preference.

The migration of Latinos to the US is a chief reason for more interracial couples, “About 28% of Hispanics ages 18 to 35 are married to someone who is not Hispanic.”

It isn’t Latino immigrants that are marrying interracially, rather it’s their children who are second and third-generation Latino-Americans (primarily Mexican-Americans).

In 2000, Mexicans made up 29% of all immigrants in the USA. At the time this was the highest ever. This number has seen little fluctuation in recent years.

As more and more Latinos come of dating age, expect to see more interracial couples.

Online Dating Filters Become Even More Specific

As the world becomes more polarized humans become more picky with who they choose to interact with.

How often do we cross paths with a fellow Tinder user that’s written “NO TRUMP SUPPORTERS” in her profile? Wouldn’t it be nice if we could just use a filter to reject all those that don’t agree with our viewpoints or share similar interests?

We’ve already seen this happen as evidenced by new dating apps such as Farmers Dating and JDate that target specific users. This could be the year that we see new dating apps created that target Democrats or Republicans, or even cat or dog people -o wait, this is already a thing.

While dating apps that target a specific user already exist, in 2020 their user bases will grow.

But it isn’t just apps tailor-made for specific users that will proliferate. Filters in already popular dating apps will also dictate dating in 2020.

Do People Actually Enjoy Using Dating Apps?

Just because 1/3rd of Americans ages 18-44 have at one time used a dating app doesn’t mean they like them. Just 58% of users have reported that dating apps are at least somewhat useful.

It’s this dislike for dating apps that will convince these companies to make major changes. Expect FB Dating, Tinder, and Bumble to start testing search filter features that will allow users to specify searches.

In 2020, users will be able to search for their significant other based on their political beliefs, ethnicity, education, income, hobbies, and more.

Blind Dating

The antithesis of only going out with someone that checks all your boxes is a blind date.

Blind dating in 2020 will become trendy for a few reasons.

The main reason is because of Netflix’s show, Dating Around. The show premiered last year and has been renewed for a second season which should come out sometime in the first half of this year.

For those that don’t know, the show organically films a number of blind dates. Each of the show’s six participants go on five blind dates in the space of five days. The show received a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and was watched by millions of people. Its second go-around will attract even more viewers.

This show will be the catalyst for the new phenomenon. As we’ve seen, Americans are having less sex and they’re growing even more dissatisfied with online dating. These two variables will culminate in blind dating being the biggest dating trend of 2020.

One of the main reasons we don’t ask people out in person and instead hide behind a screen is our fear of rejection. The safety that online dating grants us isn’t compromised when we go on a blind date.

That’s because it’s our friend that’s asking the girl out for us. And hey, if she says no, she’s not rejecting you -she doesn’t even know you- she’s simply rejecting the opportunity to go out with a complete stranger.

Your Social Media Projection Matters More Than Ever

The oldest female of generation z is now 25 years old.

She doesn’t watch TV, she hates ads, prefers cool gadgets to cool experiences, and of course, is addicted to SM. It’s these women that are now graduating college and are of dating age. As the youngest crop of eligible singles, they are now shaping the dating world. So what does this mean?

For one, if you don’t have Instagram or Facebook, you’re barely a person.

Just 10 years ago, only a minority of Americans had multiple social media accounts. Nowadays, not only does the youngest generation have multiple dates apps, but a majority of generation z women check YouTube, Instagram, and Snapchat at least once a day.

As the most tech-savvy generation these young women won’t go out with you if she has only seen just one of your online profiles. If numbers are exchanged over a dating app, she’ll also ask for your Snap, IG, or FB in order to verify you are who you say you are.

Increasingly, apps like IG will be used to meet people. Gen Z kids want as much information about their potential dates before meeting up. They want this info not only because they know that it’s available but also because of overchoice.

Dating Gets Professional

Dating will only ever become more nuanced as technology and cultural values change. It’s tough to have a pulse on an ever-changing dating landscape. Though there is one way to keep pace; team up with a dating coach.

There’s a wealth of information that singles can find online to help them navigate the dating scene. The issue is that most of its rubbish.

Nowadays quality information isn’t free.

To ensure that the advice they’re getting works, singles will turn to dating coaches. Dating coaches won’t provide you with the armchair advice readily supplies by your buddies.

Instead, coaches like Emyli will sit you down via a 1-on-1 Skype session in order to explain what you need to do to revamp your dating life.

Stop binging YouTube videos in your never-ending search to improve your dating life. Book a session today to learn how to dominate online dating, ask a woman out, find a girlfriend and more.