Think Virtual Dating Always Sucks? Think Again
Sure, Zoom calls lack ambiance. But they re an antidote to a sometimes impersonal culture of hookups and expectations.
By
Christy Carley
2/12/2021 at 8:30am
Haley  matched with Kellen  on the last Monday of March 2020âalmost a week into Washingtonâs âStay Home, Stay Healthyâ order. By that weekend, they had dreamed up a first date: âWe would meet at Shelter Lounge in Ballard and get a drink or some snacks,â Haley says. From there, they would hit up Mox Boarding House (a bar meets board game library) across the street, and finish up with dessert at Salt and Straw a few blocks away. Â
Dogs are infamous on dating apps. Leading with a photo of a cute puppy is a surefire way to guilt or woo someone into swiping rightâwho can resist the big brown eyes of a labradoodle?
But for people dedicated to their canines, featuring them prominently in a dating app profile gets at a crucial component of compatibility: Sleep with me, sleep with my dog. Thatâs the fridge magnet message Seattleite Michi Suzuki read on her first visit to her now-wifeâs home. Itâs also the founding principle behind Wowzer, the much-hyped Seattle-based dating app she launched in October 2019 to help dog people meet other dog people. But Wowzer, like so many other Seattle businesses, shut down for good in early spring.