According to a CNBC report, online dating is seeing better days in the form of rapid growth as more people go online to find sweethearts. Figures from an online app show that the number of Japanese consumers on online dating doubled from 2018 to 2020.
Now, a recent report says that the Japanese government is committing 2 billion yen, about 19 million dollars to fund digital dating services in that country. This move is believed will boost the low birth rate.
The government announced that it is more interested in offering subsidies to a local government engaged with startups for matchmaking projects that can handle AI technology. According to spokespersons, the government believes that this is the best step in reversing the decline in the nation’s birth rate.
Local governments will receive their share of the investment starting next year when the present COVID-19 pandemic will have subsided. At that time, those dating may no longer be obligated to maintain social distance. The growing dating services in Japan today offer services that enable users to submit details such as names, ages, educational backgrounds, incomes, etc, in the hope of finding a mate or a potential match.
The government reckons that apart from increasing the interest of people in dating, this new machine-learning algorithm could lead to people making more babies. Having better software could also be beneficial in taking into account a person’s interests, values, or hobbies in predicting the compatibility of partners.
Japan’s 126 million population has been steadily declining because women in that country have fewer babies. Worldwide, Japan has one of the lowest birth rates, so much so that numerous schools and nurseries have shut down. In 2019, the number of children born in that country hit a record low, falling to about 800,000.
Another problem the country is facing is that there are more older workers now than before because people live longer in Japan. Therefore, a low birth rate means a falling workforce that has more old and less productive workers. This scenario will make it difficult for the government to provide welfare and healthcare to its citizens.
