How is Online Dating Being Accepted?

While casual sex is still largely a taboo in India, India’s bourgeoning young middle-class population is exactly what apps like Tinder and Tinder Lite need to thrive in South Asia.

There will be some resistance to the apps, but to 18 to 25 year olds, the idea of picking up an app that can potentially help with the adoption of hook-up culture is enticing. Launching app versions that consume less space and bandwidth during use are also being considered by the love capitalists to ensure that everyone is covered, not just the wealthier segment of the population that can afford faster Internet speeds.

According to Aishawrya Yadav, a Bombay resident, she and her friends are using Tinder because they are actively looking for mates. According to her, Tinder and other online dating apps are a way out of the shackles of arranged marriages, as they facilitate the independent search for life partners.

In Japan, Match is trying a slightly different route because of Japan’s more conservative stance to marriage and finding partners. Instead of introducing Tinder, they’ve acquired an app called Pairs that focuses on people finding partners specifically for marriage (instead of casual hook-ups).

Due to the heavy work schedules common throughout Japan, the use of mobile phones and online services is quite common and people are also more willing to pay for matchmaking apps.

A key feature of the Pairs app is that it gives in to the requirements of what constitutes good couples in Japanese society. For example, it actually lists down the blood type of the users, as even this is considered when people are determining their compatibility with potential husbands or wives.