Julian
returned to his hometown of Metz after spending several years in the Paris area. By opening the MeetUp app, the 30-year-old was able to recreate the circle of friends he had lost over time. Since then, he’s been going to restaurants, bars, and even on weekends in the mountains with this new band… which doesn’t take much of his time! “It’s crazy, there’s always an event, not to mention a lot of WhatsApp or Messenger messages to reply to,” he says.
After two years of the pandemic, the desire to see the world
Find friends to go rock climbing, visit an exhibition or just have an aperitif: like Julien, many of them are now using friendly dating apps after two years of a pandemic that disrupted social ties. More generally, rebuilding a network of friends after a move or a breakup, finding people available for activities when normal friends are not… these are all reasons, often practical ones, that lead to signing up for these apps.
These platforms want to fight the social isolation that is affecting an increasing number of people, especially after the Covid crisis. Name, age and areas of interest: you create your profile in a few clicks, just like on dating sites. A “nice” way to meet new people during class.
Launched in 2002, the pioneer of the Meetup sector (which has 59 million members worldwide, mostly between the ages of 30 and 45) invites you to join themed online groups that organize collective events. “Meetup has long been about learning and technology, but that is changing,” says CEO David Siegel. “Now people just want to meet new people and build relationships. »
Swipe right or left
Swipe a profile we like to the right – like for dating – then launch a friend chat if the person did the same: Bumble For Friends (BFF), created in 2016 and dedicated to friendship, “evolved significantly” last year, Naomi points out Walkland, vice president of Bumble in Europe, one of the most famous “dating” apps.
In the current context of fewer restrictions, she notes in the appendix a “new interest” in doing things with others after two years “particularly lonely for many”. And these friendly meetings … can also develop into romantic meetings. “Because it all starts with a friendly approach, there is less pressure to potentially meet with a spouse,” says Lea, who has been registered for two months.
Frimake, which since 2019 offers the opportunity to participate in group activities close to home organized by…
