How Much Has Quarantining Together Aged Your Relationship?
February 8, 2021
In the lead up to Valentine’s Day, Groupon has partnered with respected mathematician and Cambridge Doctorate candidate, Bobby Seagull, to quantify the amount of time couples living together have spent by each other’s side since the pandemic began, in ‘Lockdown Years’. The unique formula takes into consideration the major changes the pandemic has had on our relationships. In addition to accounting for the increased amount of time spent together compared to a ‘normal’ year, it also includes the ‘boredom factor’, as couples admit time is going much slower as they can’t experience new things together. To calculate how much your relationship has aged during the pandemic, use the calculator below.
Lockdown Love Formula Key
P = Pre-pandemic average number of hours cohabiting couples spent together per year. Groupon’s research found this was 1696.67 on average in the US.
B = x 2 for the boredom factor. Considering couples said time spent together during the pandemic felt more like years than months, the boredom factor multiples the pandemic time spent together by two.
HWD = Hours spent together as a couple during an average week (excluding weekends) during the pandemic. 76.95 hours in the US according to the research.
T = The tier factor – the number of weeks working from home together since the pandemic began. Research found the average was 28 weeks in the US.
HWE = Hours spent together as a couple on an average weekend during the pandemic. The research found couples in the US spend an average of 12.3 hours together.
N = Number of weekends since the pandemic began (calculation based on this being 43 at time of research).
4.16 lockdown years
Whatever your comfort level is this Valentine’s Day, Groupon can help you escape boredom and foster deeper connections with your partner––and other loved ones––with a huge range of experiences such as engaging activities, relaxing massage and spa packages and mouth-watering eats along with the usual romantic staples of flowers, chocolates and wine.
To check out the entire Groupon “Love Your Way” Valentine’s Day collection, please visit gr.pn/lockdownlove.
*Lockdown Love Formula Key
P = Pre-pandemic average number of hours cohabiting couples spent together per year.
B = x 2 for the boredom factor. Considering couples said time spent together during the pandemic felt more like years than months, the boredom factor multiples the pandemic time spent together by two.
HWD= Hours spent together as a couple during an average week (excluding weekends) during the pandemic.
T = the tier factor – the number of weeks working from home together since the pandemic began.
HWE = Hours spent together as a couple on an average weekend during the pandemic.
N = Number of weekends since the pandemic began
