Online dating has become a popular way for individuals to connect with potential romantic partners. Many dating apps use personal profiles that include a headshot and self-description, allowing users to present themselves and search for compatible matches.
However, this traditional model often has limitations. Unlike traditional platforms that rely heavily on profile information, Soul facilitates user interactions through voice-based communication.
We conducted semi-structured interviews with 18 dedicated Soul users to investigate how they engage with the platform and perceive themselves and others in this unique dating environment.
Our findings indicate that the role of voice as a moderator influences impression management and shapes perceptions between the sender and the receiver of the voice.
Additionally, the synchronous voice-based and community-based dating model offers benefits to users in the Chinese cultural context. Our study contributes to understanding the affordances introduced by voice-based interactions in online dating in China. As more and more people join these platforms, the online dating industry has attracted substantial investments and has firmly established itself as a mature market Smith, ; Masden and Edwards, While HCI research has been exploring the affordances of online dating sites that heavily rely on text-based communication Ingram et al.
