US video-based human insights firm UserTesting recently captured the reactions of men and women in Australia and other APAC countries around the practice of video chatting and virtual reality interactions in dating apps.
The responses focused on understanding key dating habits in a post-COVID setting, uncovered some interesting insights.
While video chatting emerged as the most popular trend amongst young people looking to find special connections online, the discussions further revealed that concepts such as “dating in a metaverse” were commonly perceived as highly futuristic, niche, and appealing.
Couples optimistic about “dating in a metaverse”; seek more clarity
More than 80 per cent of couples on dating apps reported their openness to try new formats of dating such as metaverse. However, a few also expressed concern and scepticism on the lack of clarity about the functioning of a metaverse, with many associating the network to a gaming platform in their minds. These were some of the interesting findings:
“I wouldn’t be too serious about it” (dating in a metaverse)
“I’m all for tech, but I would still want to meet in person ”
“Will perhaps treat it as an early, low-commitment date option”
Video chatting continues to find traction with online daters
During the long lockdown periods, people started getting comfortable with video chatting formats such as Zoom, much like their global counterparts.
Beyond serving for work purposes, the platform also became a virtual meetup zone for social occasions such as weddings, and also large-scale game nights/parties.
Dating apps too, jumped at the opportunity, not wishing to be left behind. They introduced video chatting formats for their customers.
The feature, quite a hit, garnered a strong satisfaction score (4.17 on a 5 point scale) amongst young daters. The advantages were fulfilling- retaining privacy related to phone numbers, not risking a COVID exposure, and, as rightly said, “Video chatting often serves as an ‘intermediate step’ to in-person dates, especially when a match reaches a specific stage.”
Dating apps have tremendously transformed how people find love and form connections these days. This continues as these apps are now beginning to look at the metaverse as the next place to find and celebrate love. Despite the preliminary concerns, the future of dating may be headed into the metaverse!
