FROM THE WEB: ‘If only you could swipe right to find a new friend’ The Guardian

A recent online dating article from The Guardian begs the question “Is it easier to make a romantic connection online than a platonic friendship?”.

While users of dating sites can spend hours adjusting filters and settings to find the perfect date, sites for finding friends (such as Meetup.com) offer users few options aside from shared interests.

“Friendship is, in many ways, actually more complicated than romance. So why do we act as if it’s simpler?” says Jess Zimmerman.

In the early 2000s, dating sites were considered to be taboo, and couples were embarrassed to admit that they had met through an online matchmaking service. After a decade of technology updates and attitude changes, sites like eHarmony and Match.com have become industry giants and online dating is rapidly losing its stigma.

Zimmerman believes that now is the perfect time for an app developer to create the perfect friendship algorithm. “We’ve become comfortable with the idea that loneliness happens and that the internet can be a tool to fight it — at least when it comes to romance. If the tipping point for friendship apps comes down to stigma, then it’s time we got with the program.”

Read the full article here.