Polyamory, spirituality and AI: are these the dating trends for 2024?

From big leaps in technology to new trends in the bedroom and elsewhere, modern dating has become more vibrant than ever.

So what will 2024 hold for our dating lives? And how can we increase our chances of finding love?

To find out what awaits romance-seekers this year, Flirtini surveyed 2,000 adults to find out what’s really on our minds when it comes to all things romance.

2024: the year of polyamory?

Few romantic trends have been on a journey in recent years like polyamory.

No longer the preserve of bohemian types who go to Burning Man, the idea of dating more than one person has entered the mainstream.

Open up the fashion and gossip magazines and you can’t move for stories of ‘polycules’ and ‘throuples’.

But for all the buzz about polyamory, one question remains: how many of us are really ready to try it?

Our survey found that 1 in 2 men, and 1 in 3 women, are open to the idea of seeing more than one person at once.

But is polyamory really all it has cracked up to be? Interestingly, those who have tried it aren’t so sure.

Of those recipients who identified as polyamorous, 1 in 2 said they would switch back to monogamy for the right person.

By contrast, the other half of respondents said they intended to stay polyamorous for the near future.

Artificial intelligence: will it power our love lives in 2024?

With the public launch of ChatGPT just a few weeks earlier, 2023 was the year the world went crazy for artificial intelligence.

Yet with new applications and capabilities for AI emerging by the day, 2024 could be much bigger. So what might it mean for our dating lives?

It will be good news, perhaps, for the significant number of singletons who are using AI to give them an edge with dating.

Indeed 38% of men and 29% of women say they’ve used AI to write their dating profile or to draft better messages.

Meanwhile, 25% of women (and 13% of men) admitted they have used AI apps to sharpen their dating photos.

When asked about 2024, approximately the same number of respondents admitted they were going to use technologies as they did the previous year. Indeed in a multiple choice question, 43% of women and 15% of men have chosen heavily photoshopped photos, 24% of women and 14% of men - AI-generated photos, and 30% of women and 38% of men - AI assistants that help write messages. Of those who used technology to attract attention in 2023 only 1% of women and 3% of men decided to be authentic and do not use these tools in 2024.

Of course AI isn’t the only technology bringing change to our social lives.

With video conferencing getting sharper by the day, it’s easier than ever to enjoy a long-distance date.

And there’s more good news for online daters, with 91% of women saying they were happy to date virtually – at least in the short term.

By contrast only 56% of men said they would be interested in virtual dating, choosing the real world over the metaverse.

Spirituality and therapy: the dating trends of 2024?

Looking for advice on your dating life. Have you tried talking to a therapist?

Look, we know what you’re thinking: isn’t that a bit Sex and the City? But our survey suggested that more of us are exploring that option – men included.

65% of women said they would consider discussing their love life with a therapist, whilst 18% are already doing so.

Meanwhile, 25% of men expressed an interest in talking to a therapist about all things romantic, with 10% saying they had already done so.

And how about a more esoteric option? Interestingly, our survey found that many of us are embracing the spiritual when it comes to romance.

Whether it’s tracking your star-sign, performing attraction rituals, or consulting the tarot cards, spirituality is clearly on the mind of some singletons.

Overall, 17% of women said they were using spirituality to improve their dating life, with 53% thinking about doing so.

While men were less likely to consider spirituality when it comes to dating, the divide wasn’t as steep as you expect.

Indeed 16% of men said they had already turned to spirituality to help find love, with 29% open to the idea of doing so.

Another notable trend is the continuing popularity of self improvement.

Overall 84% of men and 97% of women said they felt they could take action to improve their dating prospects in 2024.

But men and women tended to have different views when it came to the best way to do that.

For women, the most popular answer was fitness, with 63% saying that working out was key to improving their prospects.

On the other hand, men were marginally more likely to focus on improving their finances than their fitness.

Are the old ways the best bet?

In the world of dating and romance, not everything has to be new – and sometimes the old methods are the best.

One option that has passed the test of time is asking a friend or family member to help set you up with someone.

According to our survey, though, the classic blind date faces one obstacle, with a big gender gap in attitudes.

Amongst our respondents, 73% of women said they would be open to a blind date – compared to only 33% of men.

And what about that other classic method: the matchmaker?

Again, our male and female respondents felt differently about the issue, with women noticeably more enthusiastic.

91% of women said they would consider a matchmaker, compared to only 64% of men.

On the other hand, perhaps the best option is someone you already know – or even someone you’ve already dated.

While the option of getting back with an ex might not be everyone's definition of romance, plenty are willing to consider it.

Our survey revealed 55% of women liked the idea of getting back with a particular ex, with only 19% ruling it out entirely.

As for the men, 24% said they wanted to rekindle an old flame, with 43% saying they wouldn’t consider it.

The dating game in 2024

What else does our survey reveal about the world of romance in 2024?

One finding that may or not surprise you is that men remain more enthusiastic about what you might call ‘casual’ relationships.

Indeed men are twice as likely as women to say they use dating apps as a way to find hook-ups or flings.

In a multiple choice survey, 66% of men said they used dating apps for casual flings, compared to 35% of women.

Meanwhile, 38% of men said they were looking for love on dating apps, compared to 64% of women.

Respondents were also candid about another aspect of the dating game: relaxing one’s standards.

80% of women said they were open to dropping their standards somewhat to find a relationship.

By contrast, men were more likely to say the opposite: with 57% saying they would not adjust their standards.

And there is one piece of unambiguously good news for hopeful romantics.

Of all respondents, 94% of women and 87% of men said they were actively looking to go on more dates this year.

What’s more, around two out of three of those were open to in-person and virtual dates.

So whatever 2023 has thrown at us, it certainly hasn’t dampened our enthusiasm for dating.

Methodology: To create this study, researchers from Flirtini surveyed 2,000 adults aged over 18 years old. The study includes participants of all genders and ethnicities.