The podcast Pandemic Dating & Online Pandemic with Cattanach, R. (2021, June 1) brought to light that the pandemic has stunted new relationships (dating being an example) just as well as strained existing ones. Because we have existing friends that we yearned to connect with and were not able to, my primary concern and focus when it all began was how to maintain existing connections. The professor mentioned that the pandemic has shifted the need for new romantic relationships to move from a matchmaking service to a dating tool. The introductory example given in chapter five of the text highlights the utopian start from an online relationship. Tom rapidly transitioned from chat to voice and then to a face-to-face encounter upon a successful match. Within a pandemic, that would not be a safe route and more time is needed to become acquainted to maintain a connection.

The text quotes Walther where “people adapt their linguistic and textual behaviors to the solicitation and presentation of social revealing, relational behavior.’ The longer the interaction lasts or the more expectation the participants have of continued interaction, the truer this is“ (Baym, 2015, p. 115). Because of this sustained online interface, a connection will become more revealing within the dating site or seek a new medium. Because of potential health risks (e.g., at-risk family member), this may be where some relationships will hold until safety can be secured and cause a strain that a new relationship may not be able to hold.