DATING AROUND THE WORLD
Having a relationship with someone is important to people around the world; however, dating is different from culture to culture. Here are some examples.
Group dating is popular among young people in Europe and Australia. Groups as large as 30 people take part in events, such as going camping or having a party. This is seen as a safe way to spend time together, and to help to ease tension because people feel more comfortable in the company of friends before deciding whether to go on a one-to-one date.
In Singapore, since many young people stay single, the government has tried its best to encourage dating. Dating services are offered to single people. One of them is speed dating, in which singles will spend a few minutes talking to one person before moving on to meet the next one.
Online dating is a common way of matchmaking in the United States. Internet companies are now offering a service called 'online dating assistant' to help busy people to find a partner. An assistant helps customers to build their profiles, selects potential matches, and then sends several emails to the possible matches until the two people agree to meet face to face.