There is an increase in the usage of Chinese dating apps among expats living in China in 2016.
Unlike the social circles of foreigners that put a limitation on meeting other expats for friendship and romance, Chinese dating apps provide bigger chances for them to get in touch with the locals. Tantan, Skouts and Momo are the most popular dating apps that are used by Chinese and foreigners to meet and date online.
Sanlitun and Guomao are two of the neighborhoods with the most number of expats who use Tantan to enlarge their social circles and find potential people for dating.
According to relationship counselor Milo Gonzales, the Chinese dating apps help the expats find new relationships with both locals and foreigners. He said that the dating apps provide the opportunity for two people to learn about their interests, similarities and differences, even before they meet each other face-to-face.
Despite the convenience these apps bring, some people still believe that starting romantic relationships through dating apps would lead to shallow bonds because many users tend to like people based on their appearances. For instance, one dating app lets the user scan through pictures of other users. If he does not like the appearance of the user, he'd swipe to the left. If he sweeps to the right, then that means he likes the look of the user. If the other user likes him, he'd get a notification and they could start chatting about their likes, dislikes and any possibility of meeting in person.
According to the Global Times, some expats who are using dating apps believe that there is an invisible barrier between them and the locals. For them, the dating apps are great tools to help break that boundary.
Some foreigners, however, view dating apps as effective means of expanding their worldviews and having more experiences with other people, rather than an instrument to find the love of their lives.