Love in the time of the Corona (The Telegraph)

Ever since they playfully termed Muddy Matches ‘Tinder for Farmers’ in the early days of our venture to match country lovers, we have enjoyed the support of The Telegraph when it comes to online dating coverage.

Whether it’s been a place in their top 10 list of ‘go to’ online dating websites or as part of features on mature dating or even niche dating sites, the Telegraph have done their bit to promote rural and remote dating.

So we were pleased to read a piece this week in the Woman Lifestyle section of The Telegraph that discussed the positive role online dating websites and dating apps could play as the nation settles into practising social distancing and self isolating.

It’s a brilliant piece by Kate Mulvey: I’m not panic buying… I’m panic dating ( Love in the time of the Corona) in which she talks of ‘new rules’ to work to whilst using online dating sites to “find a partner to hunker down with when everyone is self-isolating.”

There is no immediate reference to Muddy Matches for us to wallow in for the feel good of but the principles are definitely something we can relate to and certainly apply to us. Similarly to those dating agencies mentioned in the piece, Muddy Matches have also experienced significant hikes in enquiries and subscriptions since the first COVID-19 cases were reported in the UK and the coronavirus pandemic began.

Mulvey mentions new online dating rules when your usual social circle has ‘battened down the hatches’ and ‘the friends on whom I rely for companionship and salvation have all disappeared.’

Those new rules when using online dating to tackle loneliness, according to the Telegraph, include:

1. Dial down the expectations
2. Broaden your horizons – expand your search
3. Embrace a return to old fashioned courting
4. Keep your distance when dating
5. Consider ‘isolating together’
6. Don’t let fear get the better of you

The Telegraph article also suggests the personality values of potential matches – interesting, caring and kind – “rank higher than perfect abs and chiselled features” when the natural instinct to ‘crave emotional warmth’ kicks in.

Have a read here.

And don’t just take the Telegraph’s word for it. There are similar articles to read here:

USA Today – Coronavirus canceled a lot of things. Dating doesn’t have to be one of them