Finding Love During the Pandemic: Impression Management on Dating Apps

Abstract

Dating apps usage is growing significantly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people have to stay at home and practice social distancing. The uncertainty and isolated situation make single people realize their need and desire to find a romantic serious partner in their life, furthermore drive them to use dating apps. Impression management on dating apps is started since single people choose their photo profiles, write a biography, and have online conversation through computer-mediated communication. The main aim of this research is to confirm how dating apps’ users around 30-45 years old in Jakarta do impression management when they are looking for a romantic serious partner on dating apps. This qualitative research used an online in-depth-interview method which was conducted through snowball sampling to get participants. The results indicated that participants tended to present themselves as they are, as well as only did a light impression construction in front of their potential partner, as a consequence many of them have not found their love yet through dating apps. These findings suggest that constructing the suitable impression is important to help single people to increase their chance of finding their love on dating apps.

Keywords: impression management, dating apps, online relationship, computer-mediated-communication, pandemic