One common dilemma many dating app users face is safety. I mean, some of the first warnings we get from our parents growing up is not to talk to strangers, right? Yet, here we are, meeting them off the internet.
With society and dating culture shifting daily, dating app usage has become commonplace for many of us. But thankfully, some people are seeking ways to make the experience safer for users.
A group of Ohio State students recently created a new app called DuoDate, which is specifically developed for double or group dating. That way, users can bring a friend rather than showing up alone.
“It took roughly 13 months to develop the product,” said Nick Saris, CEO and co-founder of DuoDate.
“Once we saw that there was a market need for a solution to such a problem like safety in the dating space, we thought to implement that and fix it for people,” Saris, a junior finance student at Ohio State, continued. “Hundreds and hundreds of hours have gone into development.”
Meet DuoDate: The Dating App Designed for Double Dates
Saris explained that DuoDate was inspired by a friend of his who was dipping her toes into the online dating scene.
“Every time she went on a date, she would bring her best friend with her to make her feel more safe,” he said.
On its website, DuoDate’s stated that its “mission is to make online dating safer, more fun, and genuinely social.”
“We believe that meeting new people should be an exciting and comfortable experience, not a stressful one,” the company continued. “That’s why we designed a platform where friends can match together and go on double dates, creating a built-in layer of safety, trust, and shared connection. By fostering a community-driven approach to dating, we’re redefining how people meet—making first dates feel more like fun nights out with friends. Whether you’re looking for romance, new friendships, or just a great time, Duodate is here to help you connect authentically and confidently.”
When I was using dating apps in the past, I used to propose double dates to my friends, knowing we’d feel safer if we met up with our dates together. Otherwise, we would share our locations with each other and only meet our dates in public places. However, there’s still no guarantee of safey when you’re meeting random people from an app.
But using an app for group dating will hopefully weed out the creeps or at least decrease the number of sketchy interactions.
The post Afraid to Go on Dates Alone? There’s an App for That. appeared first on VICE.
