Israelis turn to apps for dating
Smartphones and social media replacing traditional matchmaker, assisting men and women in Jewish state to find love
Video courtesy of jn1.tv (Reporter: Sivan Raviv)
Several new social media applications were recently developed by Israelis for these purposes.
For instance, "4Singles", an application which has quickly conquered the local dating scene, allows users to sign up through their Facebook accounts, and using GPS, it enables them to see which other single person registered is physically close by at any given time who is open to the idea of a spontaneous potential date.
Similar applications and sites were also developed in order to cater to the gay community as well. Founded by an American Jew with Israeli background, "Grindr" is a popular app designed for homosexuals to connect online whether for the purpose of a long lasting affair, or for a simple rendezvous with no strings attached.
There are currently over four million users from more than 100 countries, and in the name of a fast-tracked experience and anonymity, the application does not require signing up or creating an account.
The same founder went on to establish "Blendr", a similar cellular application – for heterosexuals. This app has over 150 million users, with an Israeli community which has joined the network as well, despite the fact that it does not operate in Hebrew.
Once relationships were formed, applications for couples were created as well. Take the "Weesh" application for example, which was created by three Israelis living in New York. This app is designed solely for couples so that they can enjoy romantic exchanges, with no other "friends" involved.
A special timeline is used by the couple where they post pictures of their experiences, reminisce with status updates, and make future plans together. But the app doesn't only document, it allows the pair to look into new venues for outings and consult about ideas with other registered couples as well.
All these applications are free of charge, can easily be downloaded to a mobile smartphone, and be used within minutes. Because when it comes to matters of the heart, Jewish tradition implies that no time should be wasted.
