BASKING RIDGE, N.J. — With the COVID-19 pandemic still raging on, Valentine's Day will look different for many Americans this year.
According to a recent survey commissioned by Verizon in partnership with Kelton Global, more Americans plan to celebrate the holiday than last year, but many are planning "simpler festivities with the help of technology."
"In fact, more than 19 million confess plans to celebrate in their pajamas and nearly 40 million will look to an assist from technology to pull off a fun-loving day, with twenty-five million Americans planning to catch up on their streaming queue," the survey reported.
Americans are also planning on supporting small businesses. The survey found that 42% of Americans are planning to order takeout from a local restaurant on Valentine's Day. Forty-percent of Americans plan on ordering flowers or chocolate from a small business.
Also according to Verizon data, network traffic to top florist sites on Valentine's Day "increased over 66% compared to the same day the prior week and in 2020 increased almost 99% compared to the same day the prior week."
Data also revealed that typically, there is a 6.5% increase in text messages on Valentine's Day compared to a regular day.
The survey also found that 19 million Americans will celebrate the holiday in their pajamas, 7 million will go on virtual dates, and 15 million will cook dinner with YouTube's help.
Valentine's Day, like every other day in the past year, will look different than it ever has, but one thing is for sure: there are more ways to stay connected than ever before.
