Many Japanese youths see dating apps as a way to protect the interpersonal relationships they already have.

While some people in Japan still don’t look further than the workplace or circle of friends and acquaintances in their search for a romantic partner, dating apps have definitely gained traction with Japanese young adults, ranging from the casual and well-known Tinder to Japanese-made sites like Pairs. According to Twitter user @yusai00, the reason many people are turning to dating apps to search for a romantic relationship has to do with not wanting to damage their platonic ones.

“One reason that dating apps are popular is because many people in their 20s are no longer searching for a partner within their circle of friends. When relationships within friend groups blossom, it destroys the relationship they had until that point. Many in their 20’s want to avoid this by dating someone that has no relation to them or their friends. I can get behind that.”

The Tweet has garnered a surprising amount of attention, prompting netizens to chime in with their own take on the subject:

“Yeah, if you start dating in your friend group and you end up separating, it’s hard to be in the group…I get this…”
“I’m in my 30s and I agree with this too. More specifically, as someone who has experienced how hard it is to be in that community when things don’t work out, I feel this in every fiber of my being.”
“I’m married to someone I met 10 years ago on a dating app, and I get this. The reason I started using a dating app is because I didn’t want to choose from among my friends.”

Of course, @yusai00 admits, there are many other reasons why people might start using a dating app, but this is the particular reason that resonated with them the most. As mentioned in this article, many turn to their circle of friends and acquaintances because they don’t want to go through the trial-and-error process of dating, but it seems that there’s also a sizable population of youngsters that would rather brave the battlefield than jeopardize their friendship chemistry.

Dating apps aren’t always the easiest route, though, as experienced by our reporter Hirazi. But if you’re also not in the mood to risk upsetting your friend group, go forth with a strong heart — just take Hirazi’s advice and don’t accept any strange business offers.

Images: Flickr/Nasrul Ekram
Sources: Twitter/@yusai00 via My Game News Flash
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