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> WeChat is well known as the hookup app Hah what? This is the first time I've heard this, so I asked a male, mainland chinese friend, using Wechat itself. His

> WeChat is well known as the hookup app Hah what? This is the first time I've heard this, so I asked a male, mainland chinese friend, using Wechat itself. His reply: "Ew nope,kinda of.but I think all the social media tool has this function of hookup it really depends on the intention of users" It's pretty much the default messaging tool for my social group in China. Married people, university students, even a mid-50s government official. If you're not on Wechat you're missing out!

seanmcdirmid 13y ago
Depends on the area (wechat has geo broadcast features); in Beijing's sanlitun it is mostly guys and girls looking for fun. Also a lot of even educated professionals don't realize what is going on around them. There is a lot of cognitive dissonance as well as successful propaganda ("these western problems can't happen here") going around, but entire huge subcultures that are out of control (like the mid-50s government official with 5 mistresses).
- jackvalentine 13y ago
  I think you're overselling it as a hookup app, I presume you're referring to the 摇一摇　feature? In any case, it's a texting-first hookup-distant-third sort of thing. Like my contact said, it depends on the intent of the user. I'm so curious why your wife is so suspicious! If I was going to point out a Chinese app for basically hookups and nothing else, it'd be 陌陌。That thing is pure, 100% Tinder/Grindr.
  - seanmcdirmid 13y ago
    Fair enough. My wife won't let me go near WeChat even if she uses it herself (I'm happy to oblige, I'm not much into chatting). Some of my expat colleagues on the other hand...
  - rahimnathwani 13y ago
    I always thought 陌陌 was only a hookup app, but was recently told that it started as a way to connect people with common interests (e.g. I could use it to find nearby python users or nearby HN users.) I'm scared to install it!
- rahimnathwani 13y ago
  I think most of the people using the geo feature are looking to flirt or hook up. However, even in Sanlitun, I would imagine most people are using it for the same purposes elsewhere: 1. Checking where a group of friends is meeting or telling them they'll be a few mins late. 2. Sending groups of friends photos they've just taken of themselves and/or food. 3. Ordering taxis, which they will later pay for using the wechat payment feature, as that way both the passenger and taxi driver get a small subsidy from Tencent.

seanmcdirmid 13y ago

Depends on the area (wechat has geo broadcast features); in Beijing's sanlitun it is mostly guys and girls looking for fun. Also a lot of even educated professionals don't realize what is going on around them. There is a lot of cognitive dissonance as well as successful propaganda ("these western problems can't happen here") going around, but entire huge subcultures that are out of control (like the mid-50s government official with 5 mistresses).

jackvalentine 13y ago
I think you're overselling it as a hookup app, I presume you're referring to the 摇一摇　feature? In any case, it's a texting-first hookup-distant-third sort of thing. Like my contact said, it depends on the intent of the user. I'm so curious why your wife is so suspicious! If I was going to point out a Chinese app for basically hookups and nothing else, it'd be 陌陌。That thing is pure, 100% Tinder/Grindr.
- seanmcdirmid 13y ago
  Fair enough. My wife won't let me go near WeChat even if she uses it herself (I'm happy to oblige, I'm not much into chatting). Some of my expat colleagues on the other hand...
- rahimnathwani 13y ago
  I always thought 陌陌 was only a hookup app, but was recently told that it started as a way to connect people with common interests (e.g. I could use it to find nearby python users or nearby HN users.) I'm scared to install it!
rahimnathwani 13y ago
I think most of the people using the geo feature are looking to flirt or hook up. However, even in Sanlitun, I would imagine most people are using it for the same purposes elsewhere: 1. Checking where a group of friends is meeting or telling them they'll be a few mins late. 2. Sending groups of friends photos they've just taken of themselves and/or food. 3. Ordering taxis, which they will later pay for using the wechat payment feature, as that way both the passenger and taxi driver get a small subsidy from Tencent.