During a brief stint on a dating app, I walked right by the only guy at the bar – my date – because he looked about 10 years older (and 10 times gaunter) than he did in any of his photos.
However disappointing, the story isn’t unique. Photos can deceive, especially with the photo editing (i.e. beautifying) tools available at our fingertips, our newfound knowledge of our ‘good angles” and the fact that digital photos have been mainstream for well over a decade. Don’t even get me started on the exhausting reality that “catfishing” has become a modern-day catchword.
When it comes down to the success of a first date, it’s all about how authentic a profile is to the actual prospect.
By now, we’re well aware of the smoke and mirrors of social media in all of its good, bad and ugly glory. Most of us create the glossy lives we want people to think we live, one filtered photo at a time – lives that are often far from reality. The same is the case for dating profiles. When we swipe right on someone who sparks our interest, we construct ideas of who we want him or her to be in real life based on the limited info they’ve shared. While some IRL situations are more of a letdown than others – and some are refreshingly amazing – the reality is that there’s so much more to a person than what is inferred via written communication or a few carefully curated photos.
Only a small percentage of communication is based on the words we say or type (a mere 7 percent, in fact, according to research). When it comes to the online or app-based dating world, while convenient, it doesn’t initially reveal the voice, expressions and body language of potential matches – things that can actually make or break a first date.
Enter Zepeel, a game-changer in the app-facilitated dating game. Offering a more accurate glimpse of a potential future significant other (at making it more difficult for the fakers), Zepeel features video profiles, video chats, and real-time video meetings. As opposed to static photos and text, video profiles reveal more subtle elements, like tone of voice, pauses between words and phrases, speech speed, volume and other sounds like laughs and sighs. All these little elements can inspire the initial seeds of budding chemistry and connection more than a few witty messages back and forth can. They’re all elements of a person’s overall energy, and subsequently, affect whether or not you “vibe” with them.
“Zepeel’s structure allows users to see more of a potential partner’s character by absorbing the verbal and non-verbal cues given in their video profile,” says Steve Szikszay, founder and CEO of Zepeel. While undoubtedly a nightmare to some seasoned daters, he doesn’t think the video element will be much of a deterrent in a culture that’s become far from video-shy. It doesn’t seem like such an unrealistic ask when social video usage is on the rise, with a growing number of young people using Snapchat, Instagram Stories, Instagram live and Facebook live daily.
Given this reality, the modern-day dater is probably more comfortable in “screening” a potential significant other (or friend with benefits) through an initial video date than they are with wasting their precious time, money, outfit, and effort on a first date that ends up being a total buzz kill. We have places to be, after all.
Aside from the efficiency element, some could argue that – as tech-based as it is – Zepeel actually takes us back to the old-fashioned, organic roots of courtship (if that’s even still a word). You know, a time when real, connected conversation wasn’t replaced with heart emojis and called romantic. Or when people LOLd together in person, as opposed to through text message.
When you think of the reasons you last felt something for someone, they probably had more to do with things like the passion in their eyes when they told a story, the way their nose crinkled when they laughed at your lame jokes or the warmth in their smile when they looked at you, rather than how crafty their messages were.
Personally, I don’t believe in love at first swipe (let’s just say my aforementioned dating app lifespan was nothing to write home about), but if you’re craving something a little more authentic when it comes to dating via your smartphone, Zepeel could be your best next move.
Zepeel is available for download now on Android and iOS.
RELATED LINK: A Guide to Dating Apps for Men, Written by Women
Do you think Zepeel will change the way we online date for the better? Let us know your thoughts in the comments or tweet us at @ViewtheVibe.