Can you fall in love without seeing the possible object of your affection? What if Netflix films the whole thing to find out?
That’s the idea behind “Love Is Blind,” the reality dating show that became a breakthrough hit during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic: 30 singles meet and “date” each other while contained in pods that obstruct their views, hoping to find love unseen and walk down the aisle by the end of the season.
"Love Is Blind: Japan" launched in 2022, and Netflix producers were startled when eight couples ended up deciding to marry one another.
The majority of the relationships ultimately failed, but each of the participants now has followers all across the world who are curious to learn more about what happened in their life after the show.
But plenty of viewers have mocked the show’s central conceit, with some critics using words like “insane” and “offensive.” A psychologist and a dating expert has weighed in to find out just how realistic it is to put single strangers together and expect some to find love — without the benefit of seeing each other first.
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A participant stands behind a door, hiding her identity, on Netflix’s “Love is Blind” reality dating show.[/caption]
How can people form connections?
Much of the show’s appeal comes from the somewhat romantic idea you can find a “soulmate” through emotional connection alone. However much you might want to think that what's inside matters more than how someone looks, human nature just implies the opposite.
According to Viren Swami, a professor of social psychology at Anglia Ruskin University in the United Kingdom who studies body image and attraction, "There is this common sensical sense that people who care a lot about physical beauty are shallow, or they're investing in the wrong thing." “But in reality, romantic relationships are based, partly at least, on the fact that we find other people physically attractive.”
You must be truly prepared to commit
Finding blind love isn't impossible, even though the chances aren't great. Ask dating guru Charly Lester, who believes there is merit in bringing together strangers with similar interests even if they are aware that their chances of finding a romantic partner are slim.
Lester co-founded Lumen, a dating service for people over 50, in 2018. She’s served as a dating industry expert and columnist for The Guardian and Time Out, and she advises dating app startups like Inner Circle and RealMe.
According to her, individuals who find love on reality blind-dating programs like "Love Is Blind" or the comparable "Married at First Sight" must be dedicated to making the concept work. ”[They] tend to be the ones that are older and, more than likely, they go into it really clear on what they’re looking for in a relationship,” Lester says, adding that most have probably “tried other means to meet someone” already.
Looks still matter
As with most reality dating shows, the “Love Is Blind” cast is typically filled with attractive people. That’s a major reason why Swami doesn’t believe the reality show is successful as the “social experiment” it purports to be.
In essence, he adds, the show makes the assertion that physical attraction is not a factor while packing the room with individuals who are already inclined to be physically attracted to one another. He believes that the show's main idea is "crap, actually."
Swami goes a step further and asserts that it is unwise to try to date without assessing your possible partner's physical appeal.