Location-Based Dating: Not New, Still Creepy?
Among the social uses of location-based services is in helping new people meet each other. Many people would like a device that identifies serendipity by alerting you when a friend—or someone who should be a friend—is nearby. Technology can serve as a virtual cupid, given the right information.
For example, imagine if your dating profile information was accessible on your phone and able to be broadcast to those nearby. Then imagine if the phones of single people were constantly comparing attributes, in an attempt to connect two people with similar interests, a shared friend, or maybe just an equal level of desperation.
It turns out this is not a new idea, and it has been in practice for some time. Our sister publication Wired wrote about it over ten years ago. In Japan, a little device called the Lovegety became quite popular. Owners could set the type of interaction they were looking for and it would alert them whenever a match is found.
Lovegety only had three settings, but it was followed by several similar devices. Wireless protocol Bluetooth has been used to create services similar to Lovegety. MIT has even studied location-based dating.
As fun as it is to consider the possibilities, many people are uncomfortable with this connected a future. Privacy and security are major topics in most sessions at WhereCamp. To gain utility often means giving up something. Could it be that we’re just not used to it yet, but it will be normal, the way mapping directions is now? Or, will this sort of random meet-ups always be creepy?
