We’re living in interesting times. While people reveal more about themselves than ever before online (sometimes too much), we’re also creating a generation of people who are more and more reclusive. Hence the need for new ideas for dating and meeting others. When it comes to interacting with people in public, people are having more and more difficulty with face to face interfacing. That’s what Flitter parties are all about; they use Twitter as a way to facilitate flirting and conversation. They’re like single’s dances, except nobody’s dancing and everyone’s got a Blackberry or iPhone in front of them the entire time, or like dating websites, except you’re face-to-face with other people.
The events are the brainchild of Justin Parfitt, the founder of Canada-based dating service Fastlife. The Flitter events have been booked all across Canada after a successful start in Australia. Each participant wears a number and stays glued to their mobile Internet device. When someone uses the hashtag Flitter, the tweet appears projected on a screen (and on the respective gadgets of those following along). When you pair that tweet with a number, you know who is interested in you and you can seek them out if you so choose.
It’s an interesting idea, but I wonder how many people actually make connections in real life after participating in a Flitter event? Then again, you can say that about any dating website, singles phone chat line, or any kind of dating anything ever.
Tags: Twitter dating, texting, dating services, Fastlife, Flitter, dating via Twitter, text-dating, dating in the Internet age, unusual dating services, Justin Parfitt
