China has been tightening the screws on the developing IT sector for the past two years. They have banned online tutoring services, placed restrictions on online video games, and fined online shopping sites millions of dollars for antitrust violations. Some of China’s most prominent companies, such as Jack Ma’s Alibaba and Tencent, which owns TikTok, have come under fire from the government for breaking anti-monopoly trade regulations.
Dating apps, however, are one area of the internet sector that has been expanding quickly without any resistance from Chinese officials. The number of dating applications has increased dramatically, from 81 in 2017 to 275 in 2022, according to analytics company data.ai. Additionally, the quantity of downloads has risen as well, reaching thousands, and so have in-app purchases.
According to information provided by PitchBook Data, Inc., dating apps and social media networking sites garnered approximately $5.3 billion in investments in 2018. This increase from $300 million in 2019. But China doesn’t simply seem to have granted these dating apps full reign for romantic reasons. They also open up the possibility of marriage, giving Beijing, which has been struggling with low birth rates and marriage, some optimism, according to The New York Times.
Additionally, these applications provide those who have struggled with loneliness in modern times virtual spaces where they may make new acquaintances, pursue interests, and engage in lively discussion. According to Soul’s creator Zhang Lu, who is also supported by Tencent, ‘loneliness is the main problem we wish to fix’. However, many people use these dating apps more as a way to make new acquaintances than as a way to locate romantic partners.
In an October poll by a Chinese research institution, 89% of participants indicated they had previously used a dating app; the majority of them stated that their goal was to increase their social networks rather than locate a romantic partner. Vladimir Peters, a Shanghai-based developer who is developing his own dating app, told the NYT that many younger Chinese want the applications to deliver a more holistic experience that combines entertainment and interest exploration, and not simply a love match.
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