If you thought the single life was hard before, the pandemic has completely changed the dating landscape. Hesam Hosseini, CEO of Match told Cheddar Friday that despite being stuck at home, people are still looking to mingle.
"Singles, probably more than anyone, are feeling isolated as they stay at home. I think the dating industry, and Match, have a pretty important role to play as apps or tools that can connect you to people you don't know. We can play a role in making singles feel less isolated," Hosseini said.
The app also has a resource page called Dating While Distancing where users can share their concerns with dating experts. Hosseini said there have been a lot of questions about different ways people can keep up with a new relationship while social distancing and questions from users flying solo who still want to connect.
"The advice we give is, first and foremost, follow the guidelines in your local city and keep it virtual," he said. "Now is not the time to be dating someone new in person, but try to have fun with it."
Speaking of keeping it virtual, many couples have been trying 'video dates' to connect with each other, although the CEO said couples started trying that method even before the coronavirus outbreak began.
"Video has been around within dating, but adoption has been pretty low. We ran a survey and during COVID-19 we found that almost 70 percent of singles are now interested in trying video, which is what led us to launch Vibe Check on Match," he said.
Vibe Check is an in-app video calling service that allows singles to safely video chat with each other before deciding whether to exchange phone numbers. Hosseini thinks video dating will last after the pandemic is over.
"The way we've thought about video as the name implies, Vibe Check, post-COVID-19 and post the lockdown, it's not meant to replace in-person dates. It's meant to be a shorter way to know if you have a spark with someone'' he said.
The CEO said they've found more people on Match are having deeper conversations with each other after measuring the frequency of the back-and-forth between two people. He is also seeing changes within the early stages of dating.
"When you're on video I think it could lead to more meaningful conversations and actually get a deeper connection with someone," he said. "We are seeing even just the early stages of dating changing and maybe for the better that we are moving away from 'hook-up culture' and more towards building real relationships."
Chipmaker Nvidia is poised to release a quarterly report that could provide a better sense of whether the stock market has been riding an overhyped artificial intelligence bubble or is being propelled by a technological boom that’s still gathering momentum.
Cracker Barrel said late Tuesday it’s returning to its old logo after critics — including President Donald Trump — protested the company’s plan to modernize.
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Southwest Airlines will soon require plus-size travelers to pay for an extra seat in advance if they can't fit within the armrests of one seat. This change is part of several updates the airline is making. The new rule starts on Jan. 27, the same day Southwest begins assigning seats. Currently, plus-size passengers can pay for an extra seat in advance and later get a refund, or request a free extra seat at the airport. Under the new policy, refunds are still possible but not guaranteed. Southwest said in a statement it is updating policies to prepare for assigned seating next year.
Cracker Barrel is sticking with its new logo. For now. But the chain is also apologizing to fans who were angered when the change was announced last week.
Elon Musk on Monday targeted Apple and OpenAI in an antitrust lawsuit alleging that the iPhone maker and the ChatGPT maker are teaming up to thwart competition in artificial intelligence.
Hear from Gabino & Stephen Roche on Saphyre’s institutional AI platform that centralizes pre‑ and post‑trade data, redefining settlement speed and accuracy.
