Dating in the digital age is getting less, well, digital.
A new batch
of dating services are cropping up that push back on the infamous swipe. Call
it the Tinder resistance. The concept of swiping through profile pictures
became a new normal for dating apps -- but it places the emphasis on physical
appearance in the search for love, or hookups.
Now, some
dating app creators say there has to be a better way to help people forge
connections IRL.
Hotline,
which launched Monday in New York, wants to bring authenticity and discernment
back to online dating.
The first
required interaction if you connect with someone on Hotline? A phone call.
In other
words, no texting "U up?" until after you've spoken on the phone at
least once.
In
interviewing tech founders, many say they've built an app or service that's
designed to be as effortless as possible for the user. But Hotline founder Sam
Ballantyne, who turns 28 on Valentine's Day, set out to do the opposite. He
created the app to introduce as much "friction" as possible into
dating so people only interact with each other "when they really want
to."
Ballantyne
said the idea for Hotline actually came after matching with a woman on Tinder
last April.
"She
wouldn't message me [again] until I called her," Ballantyne told CNNTech.
He said it was her way of testing how much effort he was willing to put in to
get to know her.
Related: This
panda is dancing: Poet calls out our addiction to apps
"The
call itself ended up being a good way to break the ice," said Ballantyne,
who ended up dating the woman for a few months after their two-hour phone
session.
It can be
tough for two busy humans to find time to talk, but Ballantyne said forcing
people to play phone tag keeps things spontaneous.
Calls take
place in-app so the company can keep track of how long they last. After the
first call, people will be able to message each other. While in beta,
Ballantyne said the average calls have been about 25 minutes, but some people
have chatted for more than 40 minutes.
Read more on... New
Dating App Ditches Swiping, Requires Phone Call To Connect
Author: Sara Ashley O'Brien
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