On NBC Today in LA, I was a guest with Daniella Guzman and Jonathan Gonzalez to talk about quarantine love and Dating in the Age of COVID-19: How to Find Love in a Pandemic.

I explained why dating is a hot topic in a pandemic, and where singles originally pushed the pause button; Not anymore.

Here’s an excerpt from our interview.

Daniella: The pandemic has put a hold on a lot of things, including dating, in person. Singles are heading to dating apps and websites to meet new people.

Jonathan: Dating is hard enough as it is. Have you seen more people turning to dating apps during this time?

Julie: I have. As a matter of fact, the numbers have really skyrocketed! I have an ongoing poll on my site, DatingintheAgeofCOVID19.com, with the question, how has COVID-19 changed your dating life?

The majority, 83% said they were looking for a meaningful relationship more than ever, with less than 3% looking to hook up.

Daniella: So how does this work? You start with a Zoom meeting, and what’s your suggestion on how this works to date during the pandemic?

Julie: We do go in stages, and I’m a big fan of virtual dating. I created something called the Dress Rehearsal, where I actually go on “mock date” with people to get them ready for their date.

I check their lighting and what they’re wearing. As you can see I’m wearing red, and red pops on a video video date. 

We start slowly, with the first date being just a virtual drink. So I suggest bringing something bubbly, and putting on something that you’d wear if you were going to meet for happy hour, and do come with a happy face.

Daniella How can people stay safe if they do choose to finally make that next step and meet in person?

Julie: Right now, I’m not recommending meeting in person. I believe you’re better off safe at home, having virtual dates and doing fun thing for each other; sending deliveries.

I know some people send Venmo payments so they can pick up the tab from for their date’s dinner from their favorite restaurant.

Do things that are actually fun. Take a painting class together.

Start thinking about things you might want to do when the coast is clear to meet up in person.

Daniella:  It can get really lonely. This is a really good way, if not anything, to make a new friend as well. But, there are risks involved, always.

How can users make sure the person they’re talking to is the same person as their profile pictures. Does it make it more difficult when you don’t see that person?

Julie: This, Daniella, is the reason I believe in virtual dates. Whether you’re using Skype or Zoom or FaceTime, here’s an opportunity to make sure that someone’s not a “catfish.’ If their profile photos look a certain way, and then you get on a date or hop on a call, and they’re not recognizable, well, they’re probably hiding a lot more than just old photos.

Jonathan: Thank you Julie Spira for joining us today. You can find Julie on Instagram @JulieSpira and on her website at CyberDatingExpert.com.

This is a sponsored post by FreeDate. 

With dating app usage on the rise during the coronavirus, and stay-at-home orders continuing to extend, it’s time to look at adding a new site to your arsenal.

Free.Date, describes themselves as a completely free dating site. They’ve got over 300,000 registered users, and there’s no freemium to premium model for members on their website.

Their founder explains that their site was created for the user experience, and they believe their service is unique in the world of free dating sites.

Their platform is based on an advertising model that runs with Google Ads so that you can leave your credit cards behind.

Here’s a tutorial on how to use Free.Date

Sign Up

Signing up is simple. Visit their website, where your options are to sign up using Google or to log in with your email address.

For using Google, click on the social login button, which will direct you to the registration page.

For Email sign up, you’ll need to include your birthday, gender, a valid email address, pass through the Recaptcha, and then start filling out your profile. You’ll get an email confirmation, and will need to confirm your email address to complete your registration.

Once you complete your registration, then you can start using the site.

Users can update personal details such as username, password, location, age, who you’re interested in, and your about section. You’ll also need to upload a minimum of three profile photos.

Here’s a tour of the site.

Home – The home section after login shows you profiles of users from the city and state where you registered when you signed up.

Edit Profile – Once you’ve created your profile, you can update it to change your location, photos, and About section. There are 30 boxes you can check to describe your profession or astrological sign.

Search – The fun part about the search feature is you can search for registered users in any city or another part of the world.

States – Users can explore American singles across the U.S.A.

Mail – The inBox and Outbox are separated, allowing users to check both sent messages and those they receive.

Pledge – The pledge section encourages users to follow the correct actions while using free.date. They have photo policies to help you feel safe, including messaging, and reporting users if necessary.

Members Online – This feature allows registered users to view the available members currently online.

FAQs – A place for all questions related to the site, including how to join, message, upload pictures, use their features, and report inappropriate users.

Settings – In settings, you can change your username, update your email address, change your password, and email preferences.

Match Me – This advanced feature option is available to all registered users.

Highlights

• Send Free Messages to other profiles.
• Unlimited Winks, Add Favorites, and Meet Me.
• Search Singles from various regions (Australia to United States).
• Find Profiles who are interested in Female, Male, or Female-to-Female and Male-to-Male matches.

Unregistered or guest users can still explore the site using search functions while looking at profiles from different cities, as listed in their footer.

Conclusion: Is it worth trying?

Free.Date is a genuine free dating site that stays true to its promise. User profiles and transparency is what makes them unique and attracts thousands of users every day.

You can feel safe when accessing their site since it uses a secure SSL connection.

Do you talk to your friends about frustrations with your love life? Do you feel better after you’ve shared your woes with them?

If so, check out Confidence Dating. It’s a new blog created by Iman Llompart, where experiences and lessons are learned to help you feel less alone.

Iman believes when you share your relationship stories, others will feel helpful and it leads to starting a conversation.

Confidence Dating is looking for people who are willing to share their dating rituals and opinions for their blog. They’d also like you to go virtual, and hop on a Zoom call with them to talk about their site, where they say, “Sharing Experiences in Dating. Building Confidence in Love.”

Sound interesting?

Contact ConfidenceDating.net, or follow them on Facebook, and @confidencedati1 on Twitter.

This is a sponsored post by Confidence Dating. 

During this period of self-isolation, quarantining, and when life seems so uncertain, it’s not unusual to reach out to old friends, family members, and of course, the ex who’s still on your mind.

Whether you’re sending a text to rekindle the spark, or just because you really care about their being, now’s the perfect time to reach out and say hello.

Chris, a reader sent in this question to Ask the Cyber-Dating Expert on this subject.

Dear Julie,

I hope you’re staying safe and healthy during this crazy time.

I’m reaching out because I could really use some advice. I would like to reach out to my ex, but I’m not sure what is the best approach.

We stopped speaking eight years ago, and I tried calling her 3 years ago, but received no response (please note, I sent her a follow-up text). I’m assuming this was her way of saying no.

If given the opportunity, I would try to take the approach of showcasing to her the new person I am but haven’t had the chance.

When we stopped speaking, we were 20 and didn’t end on the best of terms, but I feel like now that we’re two older adults, eight years later, maybe things could be different. Please note, she lives in New York, and I’ve been living in L.A. for the past six years.

Would reaching out to her again after my previous attempt even be worth it?

Thank you Julie. Any and all guidance would be appreciated.

Chris

RELATED: 8 Reasons Why She Didn’t Reply to Your Text

Dear Chris,

Thanks for reaching out. You’re not alone.

It’s been a busy time with people connecting on dating apps to meet someone new, and a lot of singles are reaching out to an ex to check in and make sure they’re safe during COVID-19.

If you try to reach out, it can’t jump in to sell the “new you” to her, and should only do so to show your concern for her health and well-being.

If you take the “look at the new me,” approach, she may feel like you’re pressuring her into an instant relationship and have ulterior motives, and it will backfire for sure, and most likely result in you getting ghosted again.

Plus, we don’t know if she’s in a relationship, or the thought about entering a long-distance relationship is something of no interest to her, especially with someone where there was a bad breakup.

For now, you’ve still got her on a pedestal, reliving past memories and hoping for a new future, which isn’t realistic.

WATCH: What to Do if He Only Wants to Text Me

Keep in mind, you don’t even know what she’s like in today’s time, eight years later. Perhaps her personality has changed, and you won’t like the “new her,” and if you met today, it wouldn’t be a fit.

Still, try to stay in the friend zone, because that’s all anyone’s ex can be right now, it’s the perfect time to reach out to her in a text to say: 

“Hi (insert name), I hope you’re safe and well during this crazy time.” Then add your first name.

Don’t ask her to answer a bunch of questions, don’t ask her about her relationship status and if she’s seeing anyone, or would consider getting back together.

Living in the past can haunt you, as you try to navigate love moving forward, which is an ideal time, as 75% of singles on the Love Poll in Dating in the Age of COVID-19 say they’re looking for a meaningful and long-term relationship.

If there’s any time to reach out, it would be now, but don’t start jumping into lengthy text exchanges, and don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back.

Reaching out once the crisis is over would be less genuine, so now’s the time to show you care, with no expectations. Consider your ex, an old friend, and everyone changes in the course of close to a decade.

Start looking for someone online who’s terrific and wants to meet someone just like you. If you’ve truly evolved in the past eight years, someone will benefit from your self-growth.

Keep me posted!

Julie

Julie Spira is America’s Top Online Dating Expert and the founder of Cyber-Dating Expert. She’s been coaching singles on finding love online for over 25 years, and as a virtual dating expert, helps singles master video dating with her Dress Rehearsal service.