It`s the most wonderful time of the year and also the time for the rise in rushed matches, as GenZ loves to call them. With the start of cuffing season, regardless of the mode of dating, people get desperate to snag a match before the festivities start and the year ends. In a user behaviour analysis by Indian dating app QuackQuack, 3 in 5 daters revealed that it is either as simple as trying to avoid being lonely or as complex as flaunting a holi-date to prove to their peers that the year hasn`t been a complete failure. The good news is that, more often than not, there is no malicious intent.
The study was done among 9,000 active users between 20 and 26 from Tier 1, 2, and 3 Indian cities. Participants came from various walks of life- working professions in IT, healthcare, education, law and order, finance, sales and marketing sectors, and 21 per cent of the people were students and job seekers.
QuackQuack`s founder and CEO, Ravi Mittal, commented, “Festivals bring with them new opportunities and some vulnerabilities too. The Christmas Rushed Matches are one of those trends that fall under a little bit of both; basically, it`s matching prematurely due to the pressure to end the year on a good note. Should it be checked? Yes, to some extent, even though some of these matches are evidently ending up being genuine relationships.”
GenZ redefining the `Rushed Matches`
The term might sound ominous, but for some optimistic Gen-Z daters, it is just the starting point of an unexpected match. 21 per cent of male daters from metros and suburbs revealed that their rushed matches from the end of November have turned out to be a meaningful connection. Rahul (26), from Bengaluru, said, “The idea behind the match was to have a date for Christmas, but then, we actually connected. I can see it going the distance.”
12 per cent of daters said that “rushed” does not necessarily mean it`s insincere. The intention is pure; just the execution is too hurried. Prajakta, a lawyer from Delhi said, “Sometimes, it`s difficult to stop yourself from falling for these matches. `Tis the season to be stupid- the best thing is to embrace it and see where it takes you. It`s also a good way of exploring matches you would`ve never otherwise considered.”
Intentional breaks
19 per cent of daters over 24 (11 per cent female and 8 per cent male) disclosed not wanting to cuff up for the season and taking an intentional break from matching- that isn`t stopping these daters from chatting, scrolling, and gearing up for grand matches the coming year. Navneet (25) commented, “It`s okay to pause. I am not saying no to matches, just to the pressure of matching right now. I am spending this month literally wishlisting potential matches I`d like to connect with once this Rush Season is done with.”
Digital boundaries
The study shows that over 25 per cent of women between 22 and 26 set hard boundaries during this holiday season- from limiting late-night chats to not touching overly personal topics, these women are prioritising their emotional bandwidth. “It`s best to keep things light around this time. It`s easy to fall for the wrong people because emotions and loneliness are running high right now,” advised 25-year-old Diksha. Her colleague Lakshmi (23) jokes, “You hear how his ex wronged him, and suddenly you get this intense urge to be the woman who makes this brooding man smile. It won`t last, and it`s just not worth the drama that follows.”