With the end of year festivities approaching, research reveals which month is the one that accumulates the most meetings between users
Dating apps seem to have gained a kind of emotional calendar and in it, November occupies the top of the list as the busiest month. If before the search for romance increased as summer approached, today the movement begins weeks before: all it takes is the end of the year mood to emerge and singles rush to find company. Not by chance, recent data reveals that this is the month with the highest number of meetings scheduled in the Inner Circle, surpassing any other time of the year.
The explanation may seem amusing at first glance, as Ramone Gigliotti, senior marketing manager for the platform in Brazil, recalls. “There are those who might say it’s because November is the month of Scorpios, one of the most seductive signs of the zodiac. But the phenomenon goes beyond astrological fun: this month is the one with the highest volume of scheduled dates on the Inner Circle. It’s a behavioral pattern among our users that we see repeating itself year after year and we think it could be the fear of facing the infamous question from aunts at Christmas: ‘Are you still single?'”.
For therapist João Borzino, the end of the year awakens a collective emotional impulse. “As the year ends, people become more aware of time and, consequently, of loneliness. The holidays carry intense symbolism of union, belonging and family continuity and this has an appeal”
Furthermore, the expert points out that this period serves as an intimate review milestone. “When they realize that emotional goals are pending, many people feel an urgency to connect. The end of the cycle works as a psychological marker and when people notice emotional, affective and social gaps, a natural impulse to correct this arises.”
Technology that helps with the first step
This collective behavior of searching for a partner quickly is already reflected in the way we relate, since today, around 80% of couples meet through apps. The growing demand for more meaningful connections has not gone unnoticed by the platforms that are evolving to keep up with this new phase.
Happn, which has 170 million users globally, 31 million of which in Brazil, officially announced the arrival of the Perfect Date feature in the country. The new feature uses artificial intelligence to suggest personalized place options for the first date, taking into account shared interests and location. Karima Ben Abdelmalek, CEO and global president of the application summarizes the proposal: “Perfect Date was not made to make decisions for the user, but to inspire them with ideas that reflect what it and Crush have in common”. The functionality was born after a study of the app showed that 4 out of 10 singles feel anxiety when deciding where to go on their first date, either due to a lack of ideas or fear that the proposal might not please the other person.
New habits, new rules and the altar!
However, while applications expand possibilities, they also bring challenges. Borzino warns that “when you transform the process of getting to know someone into a consumer experience, swiping profiles like someone choosing products, you run the risk of dehumanizing the other”.
Still, he reinforces that technology can bring people together as long as it is used with emotional awareness and real intention.
Ah, those who are lucky enough to find their soulmate, even when faced with so many options. Content creator Luana Zucoloto, for example, met her fiancé at Inner. “When I opened the app for the first time, I saw his photo and thought ‘wow, this boy doesn’t exist’ and then I sent a joke. It worked! We were supposed to just hook up, but, out of nowhere, we’re getting married! At the end of the day, the important thing isn’t ‘happily ever after’. For us, what matters is this real connection we have”, she says emotionally.
Between algorithms, AI and affective maps, one thing remains unchanged: the human search for connection. And everything indicates that the period is favorable as December approaches and life begins to slow down. In a countdown rhythm, we went to listen to another therapist (specialist in marrying women and resolving crises in marriages) about what we should do to find our ideal partner. The report is by Renata Rode, special for the Jovem Pan portal.
*This text does not necessarily reflect the opinion of Jovem Pan.
