Today’s dating game is like a high-stakes treasure hunt for a halfway decent match. Whether you give a one-page snapshot of your entire life on a dating site in hopes your last swipe will lead to something meaningful, or brave the land of blind dates, the reach is real in the 2020s, and there are no signs of it letting up.
People today are trying all sorts of methods to find love, with one of the most recent and popular being Pop The Balloon. This unscripted digital series, created by a Black couple from Arizona, Arlette Amuli and her husband Bolia Matundu, has absorbed the internet. It introduces a unique twist where love seekers pop a balloon to show and express their disinterest.
Yikes—so, how did we get here? Why are people willing to be confronted with or have the curtains pulled back to reveal any and every flaw… in real-time? I blame social media and a dash of awkwardness brought on by the 2020 lockdown. Many believe the constant shift in societal norms means more people have delayed marriage and prioritized personal and career development. This may have created a sense of urgency as individuals reach a point where they feel ready to settle down, urging them to take more drastic steps to find a partner.
There’s also technology (I told you!). Algorithms in dating apps can sometimes encourage users to take more calculated and strategic actions to improve their chances of finding a match. A study in the Journal of Social and Personal Relationships discusses how technology influences dating behaviors and decisions.
This real-talk, auditory delight has garnered a huge following. The show has amassed over 50 million views on YouTube, going from a creative experiment to a cultural sensation, attracting thousands of hopeful singles. Along with thousands on the waitlist, two-thirds of the target audience (millennials) aspire to get married, according to the Pew Research Center.
From experiencing what exactly a “high-value man” is to being told your shoes are wrong or you have too many children, the delivery may be a bit much (wow, I’m watering that down), but many participants have found love.
This makes me wonder if we will ever return to how it used to be. Can you remember when guys would try to “talk to you”? I am definitely showing my geriatric millennial mind, but it was a hell of a time to be alive. Writing phone numbers on any piece of paper you could find, maybe even using lipstick, while out and about looking cute. It was thrilling and a confidence booster, but we’ve come a long way. Is the thrill now reduced to a checklist of reasons why you’re not a match?
While many dating platforms may not be perfect, it’s hard to deny the impact and sheer entertainment value of Pop The Balloon.
