Perks and Perils Of Dating Blind Boxes Entices Gen Z
A new dating trend emerged in China and is gaining popularity amongst the Gen Z. Blind box dating is where young singles can get a mystery box filled with the details of a potential date for as cheap as 1 yuan (USD0.16). These boxes can either be bought at physical stores, mini apps on WeChat and on e-commerce sites like www.blindboxdating.com/
Blind boxes are generally blind item buys. Books, action figures, jewellery and the likes are packed in attractive boxes. The buyers have no idea what they’re getting and the novelty of the concept appeals to the current market.
Source: Google Images
They can reach out to these potential dates via WeChat, the Whatsapp equivalent in China to get the ball rolling and even arrange a date if things work out online. Much like blind box buys, the novelty lies in the mystery.
However, there are still pitfalls to such dating trends just like online dating. A 25 year old undergraduate student, Shannon Yang, shared her experience in an interview with South China Morning Post.
Source: Google Images
She bought 3 mystery boxes for 9.9 yuan (USD1.55) each from Human Romance Plan, a mini app built into the WeChat platform but still lucked out as the budding friendship fizzled before anything more could happen.
Human Romance Plan focuses on university students in Beijing and it helps with the pre-screening of candidates using the platform.
“I added them on WeChat. There was someone I enjoyed chatting with, but then he suddenly disappeared before we had the opportunity to meet each other face to face,” – Shannon for SCMP
The boxes contained details like height and weight, hobbies and interests as well as a self appreciated appearance grade to give Shannon a rough idea of what the potential date is like.
Source: SCMP
Despite the hit and miss of the blind box dating concept, there is still demand as more stores, online and offline, offer the service to those who don’t have the time to go out and find companionship due to their hectic schedule.
The Dating Convenience Store in Shanghai has roughly about a thousand bottles filled with the particulars of love seekers. It costs 3 yuan (USD0.48) to buy one of the bottles and 48 yuan (USD5.35) to leave information in the bottle.
Source: SCMP
The bottles are color coded, red for men and pink for women. They are also categorized according to star signs.
Albert Chai, co-founder of the business mentioned that the novelty for young people lies in not knowing who they’re about to get to know. Traditional online platforms are deemed “too serious” for these youths who are trying to have fun while they get to know new people.
“The process of finding out about a stranger is fun. People are trying their luck for what we call in Mandarin ‘yuanfen’, or fateful coincidence, by paying for such uncertainty,” – Albert Chai
It would seem that many of the youths agree with him. According to some, it is a convenient and fuss-free way to meet new people.
According to Wang Yifei, he prefers to use such services as it is simple and straightforward.
“I’m one of those who have a social phobia. Starting by chatting online is much easier for me. Besides, dating websites and apps are much more expensive,” – Wang Yifei
There is a downside to the “dating blind boxes” Issues like privacy, harassment and financial frauds are a concern highlighted by Yi Shenghua, a director at Brave Lawyers law firm in Beijing.
While volunteering information into the boxes is not a criminal offence, it is hard to charge someone for infringement or personal information theft.
“It would be very hard for participators to hold the business owner accountable if they encounter harassment, privacy leakage, or scams during contact with the strangers they pick. They have to take the consequences themselves,” – Yi Shenghua
He also mentioned that the idea of blind boxes could be imitated by criminal gangs to exploit unsuspecting people.
“The idea of dating blind boxes could be easily imitated by criminal gangs, who could obtain citizens’ private info by establishing such stores and set multiple traps to gain their trust, before tricking them out of money,”
Some have encountered salespeople who use the blind dating boxes as a way for them to push their products and services.
“I picked a few guys’ boxes from a street stall – why not since it was just 1 yuan ? And then I talked to them online and one of them simply promoted health products to me. He kept sending me shopping links and advertisements and tried to talk me into buying. I was so annoyed that I finally blocked him.” – Liu Minli, 22 year old student
Blind dating concepts have evolved over the years with reality shows like MTV’s Dating in the Dark and Netflix’s Love is Blind. The premise of the shows are similar. Men and women are made to know each other without seeing the other person until the stipulated time is over.
There are success stories from such shows where unlikely couples fall in love and end up getting married. Perhaps, in a world where looks are marketed to be the only thing that matters when it comes to finding the perfect partner, the mystery of not knowing what the person looks like can help create a real connection.
Source: Tom’s Guide
Reporter’s Opinion: The concept is novel but it is still online dating. Volunteering your own data comes with risks. You are paying money to have your data sold to companies.
It is crazy.
But in the world we are living in today, almost every app out there has our personal data. The only difference is the level of protection offered to us.
The problem with the online dating scene is instant gratification and the illusion that someone better is just a swipe away. Building a lasting connection takes time and effort.
Dating and love is a game today.
If you’re good looking, it is easier for you to hit it off with the next swipe because society is shallow and to a certain extent, everyone is shallow like that. But you’ll still end up lonely because you’re not willing to put in the effort to get to know a person deeply.
The dangers of being catfished is also high as there are scumbags, serial killers and married people looking for fun on such dating apps.
At the end of the day, if you’re looking for a real connection, you gotta take things offline. Have a little faith and who knows, maybe you’ll find love.
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