JOIN USYesterday, those matrimonial websites with their fantastic ability to connect couples threatened to dislodge all arranged marriages. Internet was still a baby, and the romance of a net-sourced wedding looked potent enough to banish those middlemen. But today, there’s a new kid on the block. Connected to the social media, it will dig deep into Facebook or LinkedIn to ferret out every information that a partner wants.
SpouseUp is what they call this mobile App from a new start-up venture. The moment a potential bride or groom hits the search button, SpouseUp’s algorithms get to work, comparing Facebook likes, shares, interests of a partner lurking somewhere. To boost credibility, the search for a prospective spouse digs into one’s own friends circles or mutual friends’ network.
Here’s the SpouseUp rationale behind taking search to social media: “Using Facebook’s social databases reduces the chances of users coming across impersonators, cyber criminals or fraudsters, as most of us these days upload our lives online.”But if prospective couples are reluctant to search, a family member or a friend could step in as the matchmaker. He/she could then refer a potential spouse to befriend.
The App’s location-specific filter could even limit the search to within a radius of a few kilometers from a partner’s current location. The matrimonial App is available both on Android and iOS platforms. By taking the social network route to connect potential marital partners, the traditional methods take a backseat. Explained SpouseUp founder, Karthik:
“We no longer make friends solely based on caste and religion.” However, for the more orthodox users, the App also finds matches based on horoscope and religion. Karthik was convinced that tracking social media to find inputs about a partner was the best way to go.
“People spend a lot of time on social media. It is important to find how, since divorce rate is going through the roof these days due to wrong partner choices. It is key to understand how trustable the partner is,” he elaborated. But does it not raise privacy concerns? Karthik contended that a lot of information was available publicly. However, the app is not voyeuristic in its data gathering. “People authorised us to collect the information,” he said.