Will metaverse dating replace real-life dating?
The metaverse has been billed as a virtual world where users can go to places that are unreachable and dreamlike, which sounds rife with romance. Taking advantage of the tech, metaverse dating is allowing people to take their online relationships to the next level, albeit in a VR headset.
Admittedly, the creation metaverse dating is simply an evolution of relationships through online games and chatrooms. Still, the metaverse is meant to be much more interactive than that and we’re already getting metaverse weddings.
Metaverse dating over real-life dating?
Madeleine Aggeler of The New York Times discussed metaverse dating, particularly the VR dating service Nevermet. While apps like Bumble and Tinder eventually lead to real-life dates, Nevermet seems to be aiming for online-only dating through the metaverse.
“We intend to change the dating market,” Cam Mullen, CEO of a recently-launched VR dating service called Nevermet, told the NYT, “where physical attraction will become one of several factors rather than the primary way people connect.”
Continuing on, Mullen believes that relationships will evolve to a point that they can be completely online in the future. “One day virtual reality will be so immersive,” Mullen’s comments continued, “that more and more relationships will flourish online.”
Problems with metaverse dating?
As expected, not everything about metaverse dating is perfect. In theory, the platform should allow for more comfortable dating where people can be comfortable, regardless of their sexuality or identity. However, that isn’t the case.
“It’s cliquey,” Stonie Blue, a 23-year-old VR dater, told the NYT. “It’s like high school drama but from people who are very much out of high school.”
Unfortunately, clique-like behavior is pretty normal on the internet, so seeing it bleed over to metaverse dating is pretty disappointing. There’s always a chance that these features can be fixed in the future, though we’d rather stick with Bumble and Tinder.