Polling data shows that Gen Z isn’t participating in conventional dating and social networking apps at the same rates as Millennials. Many members of Gen Z are tired of making snap judgments based on nothing more than a profile photo and are tired of subjecting themselves to potential rejection only to find themselves in casual situationships or matching with catfish.
Clearly, yesterday’s dating and social networking apps don’t cut it anymore. But is technology the problem, or just how conventional apps have designed their technology?
People of all ages still want to connect with like-minded people, whether for dating, friendship, or professional reasons. Surely, there has to be a way to use technology skillfully to empower real, genuine relationships and to bridge the gap between the online and offline worlds.
That’s what the two of us said to each other before launching our project to develop a whole new kind of social networking app. The fruit of our labor is a revolutionary online platform that leverages geolocation data in an exciting new way called Crossed.
The Importance of Proximity-Based Matching
One of the reasons members of Gen Z are rejecting the apps of the past is that they don’t generate authentic, real-world connections. For instance, these apps can propose matches with little regard for proximity and even allow users to lie about their location. As a result, other users’ hopes are raised only to be dashed when they realize the person they’re interested in actually lives on the other side of the country — if not the other side of the world.
That’s why we knew Crossed needed to prioritize geographic proximity. We’re not the app for people who want to hide behind an online profile and never meet anyone in person, nor for those who want to pretend to be someone else and trick others.
Rather, Crossed is the app for people who want to get away from their screens and hang out with real people in real places. We’re the app for people who want to craft authentic relationships.
Toward that end, our app connects people in a whole new way.
Crossed’s Innovative Proximity-Based Matching
Our system uses geolocation technology to establish a 150-meter bubble around each member of our community. As the user goes through their day, that 150-meter bubble makes a note of every time it crosses another user’s 150-meter bubble. (The users don’t necessarily have to be at that location at the same time.) The app alerts the users to these potential connections, which they can choose to follow up on or not, and the user’s profile doesn’t appear to others on the app until they have left the bubble.
For example, if you take your dog to the dog park, Crossed can introduce you to the other dog owners who visit the same place. If you love going to the movies, Crossed can introduce you to your fellow cinephiles. If you enjoy attending art gallery openings, poetry readings, or lectures on campus, Crossed can introduce you to attendees you would never have met otherwise.
In short, our system helps introduce you to those you literally “cross” paths with during your everyday routine. It helps you quickly hone in on the other members of the community with whom you have things in common rather than flooding you with an unending stream of profiles, many of which are fake.
While this app has obvious benefits for people who want to date, dating is only one of our three modes.
Crossed’s Three Modes: Dating, Friendship, and Business
We designed Crossed to have three separate modes. Dating is only one of them. The other two are Friendship, which is for making new friends, and Business, which is for professional networking.
Both the Friendship and Business modes enable users to signal their non-romantic motivations to others. When users are active in these modes, they can rest assured that when they accept a match with someone, they aren’t inadvertently expressing more interest in that other user than they actually feel. This enables people to expand their social circles and professional networks with the aid of technology and without concern for awkward misunderstandings.
For example, many colleges and universities use the Business mode to help students meet their classmates and form study groups and the Friendship mode to get to know the other residents in their dormitories.
The three modes operate entirely separately, so users don’t have to worry about their profile being shown in the wrong context. Users themselves choose to be active on only one, two, or all three of the modes. They can also see the modes that other users are active on. This helps ensure alignment from the beginning. In addition, the interface clearly indicates profiles that have been verified.
Boosting Offline Life With an Online Assist
What if the person you strolled past on the beach could be your new best friend? What if the person you stood in line behind at the craft store could be your future business partner? What if the biker heading in the opposite direction on the path could be the spouse you’ve been searching for?
Crossed opens up a whole new way to meet people, whether for romance, friendship, or business. Unlike the apps of the past, Crossed prioritizes meaningful, face-to-face encounters. In this way, it puts technology in service to the real world.
Want to boost your offline life with an online assist? Consider joining our community at Crossed.
