By Haiting Hu
These days, dating sites and applications are becoming more and more popular for finding a romantic partner. An article on Vox describes how 1970s VCR dating was the precursor of our dating apps today.
Jeff Ullman made the first foray into video dating as the founder of Great Expectations. Ullman recorded three-minute interviews with Great Expectations members to introduce themselves, along with a résumé, which were added to the video catalogue for other members to view – “It was the first truly intimate example of the browsing people model of dating that we know today.”
Nowadays, newer dating applications like Hinge and Bumble also encourage users to add videos of themselves to their profiles to capture their personalities. Unlike text-based apps, video dating apps allow users to feel like they are connecting with and getting to know their potential dating partners on a deeper level.
Research conducted by Antheunis et al. (2020) explores how interaction and attraction between users can vary depending on the modality of online dating applications. This research suggests that different communication methods, like text and video, offer different social cues, which might in turn impact the attraction between partners before meeting in person.