Peggy TanNur Sabrina, 19, uses a variety of dating apps such as Tinder and OkCupid to “meet new people and hear their stories”.
To her, the apps are a godsend. They’ve made communication so much easier as users can text each other whenever, wherever.
As more Singaporeans are warming up to the idea of swiping for love, several local matchmaking agencies are also upping their digital game.
Lunch Actually’s co-founder Violet Lim saw the tide shifting a few years back and started offering LunchClick. The app, which is designed for “serious daters”, provides only 1 match a day. It discourages in-app chatting, and allows users to ask and answer only multiple choice questions concerning their hobbies, habits and aspirations.
Ms Lim said this format will “force” users to meet each other in the flesh sooner, so that they won’t be exchanging texts endlessly.
But she also cautioned about the “paradox of choice” in the mobile dating world. With so many potential partners seemingly within reach, she said more people might find it hard to settle down.
This is a reason why Ms Lim continues to focus on her offline matchmaking offerings.
Another Singapore-based matchmaking company Paktor also agreed that both online and offline services are important. Paktor started as a location-based dating app in 2013, but it soon launched a subsidiary called GaiGai to focus on organizing offline dating events and matchmaking sessions.
Mr Darryl Liew, Paktor’s regional manager, said his users still appreciate the offline matchmaking service as it “guarantees that you’re able to meet someone”.
So do you prefer online or offline dating? Share your take!
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