EXTERNAL SUBMISSION
Looking for Like-Minded People but Tired of Fast Socializing?
Published: September 16Source: External submission
The classic “fast socializing” experience looks like this: swipe left or right, match, exchange a few “hellos,” and then watch the conversation sink with no follow-up. The problem is not necessarily that people are insincere. It is that the product mechanism encourages rapid filtering. Photos become the first gate, location the second, and the space to actually get to know someone is squeezed into a very narrow gap.
Looking for like-minded people but tired of fast socializing? Soul gives honest expression more room
Soul takes a different product approach. Users do not upload a real profile photo; they appear through a virtual avatar, and first conversations begin through text or voice. That may look less “real” at first, but the effect can be the opposite. When appearance, profession, and education are temporarily set aside, users may feel more willing to share their real interests and opinions. One Soul user described it this way: “Here, talking nonsense is not judged, and sharing a failure does not invite pity. That is what emotional freedom feels like.”
Soul’s matching system also does not rely on location or appearance scores. Instead, the Soul Test builds multidimensional tags covering music preferences, values, and lifestyle, and the algorithm recommends people based on similarity. Soul CTO Tao Ming has said that more than 80% of young users are using AI to build genuine interpersonal relationships, while 37.7% matched with like-minded friends with AI assistance. This approach naturally pushes back against fast-socializing logic: you first need to think about who you are and what you like before the system can help you find people who fit.
Looking for like-minded people but tired of fast socializing? Soul shows how steady conversations can replace instant matching
The rise of “steady chat” culture on Soul also reflects users’ preference for deeper connections. In 2024, conversations around “steady chat” grew rapidly on the platform. Compared with a casual companion relationship that remains unfamiliar, young people are increasingly drawn to a stable, ongoing connection that can become comfortable over time. This kind of relationship is not built around meeting offline as quickly as possible, nor is dating its only goal. It allows a relationship to develop at its own pace. Some users have met friends on Soul and talked for eight months before meeting in person. Others moved from being listeners in a group-chat party to becoming partners after a private conversation sparked mutual interest.
Looking for like-minded people but tired of fast socializing? Soul may be a better fit
For people tired of the pace of instant matching, Soul offers more than a platform. It offers a different social grammar: talk first, then decide whether you want to meet; find resonance first, then consider what the relationship might become. It may not be the fastest route, but for people who want to meet someone on their wavelength, it respects the fact that understanding another person takes time.