Too shy to strike up a conversation with a tall, dark and handsome stranger you encounter in person? With Cheek’d, you set up an online profile and then order a set of cards with prewritten witty remarks like “Our future is in your hands” or “This card is good for finding me again”.
Men lucky enough to receive your notes enter the number on the back at Cheekd.com to view your profile. “The best part about doing this is that is safe,” says Schreffler, who got a deck of cards herself. “Your contact details aren’t visible, and if he messages you with something unsavory, you can write him off.”
“Speed dating is less intense than a traditional one-on-one date, and if it’s awkward the time commitment is minimal,” says Leslie, a single in Los Angeles. But Pre-Dating.com prepares events for people who share an interest or a characteristic. Their first happening: zombie speed dating on the eve of the Walking Dead premiere. Other niche nights have had themes like “Tall Men and Women” and “Advanced Degrees Only.”
Me So Far “Story Sessions” make you use those PowerPoint skills. During a six-minute presentation, you cover details from a wide variety of provided prompts. At the end, you give out a temporary email address where others can reach you. There’s also time between speakers and after to mingle. Groups are made based on something everyone has in common like age or profession. Me So Far is currently only in Chicago, but the creators have plans to expand in spring 2013.
Dating your doppelgänger may seem weird, but we’re naturally attracted to people with similar features. So after you upload your photo to FindYourFaceMate.com, the service uses facial recognition software and a proprietary algorithm to discover your double. Schreffler’s on the fence about her experience since it took nearly two months for the site to match her. However, she says, “I do oddly resemble my current boyfriend, so there must be something to it.”
Tawkify was created for those who don’t want an online profile to be seen by colleagues or friends. Instead, you submit photos and answer 10 questions about yourself. If the site owners accept you, they interview you by phone and attempt to match you with another member (based on your Klout score) for a phone date. You won’t know anything about the other person until your call. But during your chat, you’ll have to decide quickly if you want to exchange numbers: The line cuts off at 10 minutes. Luckily, you can request to talk again the following week under the same rules.
New age. New rules. Painting your emotions with technology; scary, isn’t it? How far will we go? Can you imagine getting married online? I hope I don’t live to see that.
