Taking The Pressure off Friendship Finding
Putting yourself out there is for many, always going to make them feel a bit self-conscious. It can feel awkward to try and pick the perfect selfie or write the best bio about yourself. It’s not a particularly natural thing to do. It can turn finding dates or finding friends into a business-like transaction, in which you have to sell yourself and your profile. It’s a bit like work, for something that is meant to be about fun.
One friendship app that has come to our attention recently is We3. This is an app that has a super interesting solution to the potential awkwardness of friend-finding using social discovery apps. First off, you don’t have a public profile you need to curate and perfectly manage. You answer a host of questions instead, and the AI service handles matching you with your potential friends. And secondly, on We3 – as the name would suggest – you are never matched with just one person. On We3, you are always matched in groups of threes, and no more.
The idea behind this is it takes the pressure off. It’s not a one-on-one date like scenario. It’s not you who has to always provide the chat, banter and response in your matched group. With three, you can theoretically be more yourself – and say stuff when you have something to say – not because it’s your turn in the exchange. Not to get too anecdotal, but this writer very much has experienced this phenomena. My best friendship group has been a trio since childhood, and we remain very close to this day. With three, there is just more support, and all the pressure is not always on any one person.
We3 is a Canadian company founded by Julian Ilson and Emanuel Petre back in 2016. I won’t lie, it would be more satisfying if there was a third founder! The app is available on Android and iOS devices around the world, and like many social discovery apps – has a subscription service model, that allows for you to be placed into more than just the one group of three, and have multiple matches.
There shouldn’t be a stigma about trying to find new friends and improve your mental health. But there will always be some clunkiness about having to create a profile and sell yourself for many people. Social discovery apps that find unique and interesting ways to minimise that awkward feeling are ones that could find success and a strong audience.
