2024’s Hottest Dating Trends

Whether you want to find a friend with benefits, are looking for that special someone, or just crave a little more bedroom action here are the hottest dating trends and predictions for 2024.

Experts tell us that this year’s dating trends focus on trying new things, prioritizing mental health and well being and desiring more emotionally intelligent relationships. Is the hook-up culture dead? No. But many singles are seeking an alternative. 

Contra-Dating

Experts are predicting that contra-dating will be the trend to kickstart your dating life into overdrive in 2024. We all have a type, right? Well contra-dating is a quirky new approach and it’s all about contradicting yourself by going for someone you would not necessarily go for. And let’s face it, if our dating experience is disappointment on repeat then following the same patterns over and over could mean we are always destined for failure. 

Studies show that relationships often fail if you are too focused on a particular type or pattern. Do you normally stick to a physical type? Perhaps find a sapiosexual who stimulates your brain. Always go for the sporty types? Perhaps find someone who prefers sleep-ins with cuddles rather than hitting the gym at 6am. Or perhaps it’s just about finding someone with different hobbies, a different outlook, maybe even a different cultural background. It’s about finding what you need rather than what you want. 

Slow-Dating

Online daters are becoming more aware of protecting their mental health. It’s not just about dick pics and ghosting, it’s the pressure daters often experience online with members demanding immediate responses, access to private pictures, and pressuring them to meet. For many, finding a friend with benefits is now a priority rather than random hookups – someone you can share a laugh outside the bedroom as well as sharing more intimate moments in the bedroom.  

Slow dating is also about putting your foot on the brake and that also means how often you date. Daters are becoming more cautious and want to take things slower to build up an emotional connection with someone before they date.  It looks like 2024 is a year to prioritise your own self-care. 

Ethical Non-Monogamy

Ethical non-monogamy, sometimes referred to as consensual non-monogamy, has been the fastest growing relationship trend over the last decade. A survey conducted by Relationships Australia found that 6% surveyed were in an open relationship, or had been in an open relationship, up from just 1% in 2014. This would equate to around 1.6m Aussies. People are rejecting the conventional idea of what a relationship should look like, and concepts such as ENM, polyamory and relationship anarchy are not only being embraced by individuals but are being featured in movies, streaming services, books and articles, and what seemed risqué 10 years ago appears to be the new normal. There will always be a place for monogamous relationships for those who seek them, but people who support ENM are definitely becoming more transparent and forging ahead to break old stereotypes.

And some positive news that ghosting, when someone suddenly ends communication with you without warning, is experiencing a decline. Let’s hope this trend continues. 

Typically at the start of each new year we assess our intimate connections from the previous year and adjust our goals or means to achieving them accordingly. We might refresh our profile photo or our online dating blurb. But the experts are telling us that 2024 is about stepping outside of our comfort zone to be more aware of opportunities we may be missing. 

We’d love to know if you’ve tried contra-dating and whether it’s been successful or if slow-dating or ENM is your new “go to”.