A large majority of the Dutch are concerned about polarisation. They are thinking of deteriorating manners and a hardening of the political and public debate. They are also annoyed by statements that they experience as extreme or radical. This is evident from research carried out by the Social and Cultural Planning Office (SCP). Although the study was conducted two years ago, the topic is just as urgent. Many municipalities and organisations have made it a top priority.
This was reason enough for Fontys ICT to link a project to it with a social interpretation. To this end, Studio Krom - one of the partners in education - issued a challenge to ICT & Smart Mobile students. The assignment: come up with a solution that has real potential to contribute to reducing polarisation in society. This resulted in five concepts for apps, platforms and new ideas for social media.
Opposites Attract
The best concept was rewarded with a cash prize of one thousand euros. Students Yourden Kerstens, Krijn Consiglieri and Bernard Melis won the challenge with their concept Opposites Attract. ‘It is a dating app that focuses on the differences between people instead of their similarities,’ Yourden explains. The concept beat several other good pitches, partly because of the useful implementation of AI, good focus and convincing demo.
A dating app that focuses on differences instead of similarities? That calls for an explanation. ‘What we discovered during our preliminary research is that despite their differences, people also have many similarities,’ Krijn explains. ‘To recognise that, you have to be willing to look beyond the other person's opinion and want to build a bond with them. We thought a dating app was the most suitable tool for that. People are already open to others, after all.’
Statements
When you create an account on Opposites Attract, you are presented with thirty statements to answer. From innocent ones about a preference for cats or dogs, tea or coffee, sweet or salty popcorn, for example, to more serious statements about the climate or meat versus vegetarian. When you start swiping, you will only see people with whom you have a few differences that you can talk about if you are a match. This is done using AI.
‘It acts as a kind of moderator,’ explains Bernard. ’AI keeps an eye on whether the conversation remains friendly and whether the conversation partners are ready for a new, more polarising statement. If the conversation deteriorates, AI will come up with a statement they can agree on.’ The dating app also distinguishes itself from other apps by not emphasising appearance, but rather the inner self. Yourden: “The interests are more prominently displayed than the portrait.”
On a date
Ultimately, the idea is that people will go on dates. ‘That goes hand in hand with reducing polarisation,’ says Yourden. The trio tested the app at Fontys ICT in Tilburg. Opinions were divided, Krijn knows. ‘Some thought it was a very nice way to meet people. Others were not interested in light-hearted statements. And there was also a group of people who dropped out right away because they don't use dating apps.’
The students can use the prize money to develop the concept into a real app. But it is not clear whether that will happen anytime soon. Yourden and Bernard are going to start their internships and Krijn is about to start his minor. ‘We may put it on the back burner for now and pick it up again later,’ says Yourden. ‘To keep up with it a little, we have agreed to speak to each other at least once a week.’
Source: Bron.fontys.nl