Jigsaw Featured in Analysis of Healthy Dating
Psychologist Mark Travers has highlighted the use of non-superficial dating apps as one way to approach healthier dating. In a column for Forbes, Travers shares that platforms such as Jigsaw can help stimulate genuine interest, rather than superficial attraction.
Addressing the common dissatisfaction among dating app users, Travers writes in Forbes that “many mainstream dating apps are simplistic, watered-down versions of the real thing”.
From this shaky foundation, he highlights that dating app users pick up unhealthy dating habits, including:
- Too much focus on physical appearance
- An unstoppable feeling that users can someone ‘better’ than their current matches
- The feeling that matches are “disposable commodities”
So what can be done?
- Facilitating genuine curiosity
Travers highlights “that initial conversations people have can significantly shape the trajectory of their relationship”, and so it’s important to have genuine curiosity and interest in a match’s personality.
This is where non-superficial apps can play a role, for example Jigsaw. On this dating platform, users’ faces are covered by puzzle pieces and their faces are revealed as their conversation progresses.
“Rather than the first impression being an image-heavy resume, we’re encouraging members to have real conversations within the app, as they would meeting new people in real life”, shared Alex Durrant, CEO and co-founder of Jigsaw.
- Making offline connections
Meeting in-person, as opposed to online, can help foster more authentic conversations and interactions. It’s more difficult to be drawn into the behaviour of “playing it cool” when speaking to someone offline, Travers points out.
“Seeing a plethora of people who are single in your area can encourage the thought process that there is always going to be someone better than who you are currently connecting with. A balance needs to be found,” Durrant added.
“If dating companies truly want people to find their missing piece, they should focus on helping single people break negative habits and experiment with different ways of presenting people to one another that aren’t so intensely image-focused and don’t encourage people to treat each other like commodities”, the Jigsaw CEO explained.
Jigsaw itself is going in this direction, having hosted offline dating events across 28 U.S. states in the last year. “Such events offer an environment where casual and thoughtful conversations are encouraged and incentivized”, Durrant shared.
- Mental health check-ups
Travers highlights that dating apps are increasingly recognising the importance of mental health, and doing their best to support users with this issue.
Collaborations with dating apps can enable mental health professionals to share useful advice, encouraging users to set healthy boundaries, take breaks, and learn more about themselves.
