When hearing the word Kikini, one may think of a tropical island paradise and if so, then you already have something in common with its founders. While Kikini may not offer poolside drinks and island breezes, it does fill a niche in the market of online dating; it is a site created for college singles only, ages 18 to 24. First conceptualized in 2009 by a group of Microsoft employees, this company is based out of Washington and California and has recently launched its revolutionary web site this past September.

The site is free and can be used by anyone in the age range with a verified student e-mail. Like any good investigative journalist, after reading about the site, I decided to check it out and created a profile to get the total experience.

After initially reaching the site I took note of its aesthetically-pleasing layout and easy access, with the reinforcement of the tropical theme and bold font. I joined, and the first thing I noted was the fact that all photos have to be approved before they are publicly seen on the site, which is helpful in deterring fakes and liars or those who would otherwise falsify their photos. Going through the process of filling out my application, I was overjoyed that it didn’t require me to fill out a lengthy information profile or survey, instead asking me to fill out tags of things I liked and didn’t like. I mean really, who wants to know your blood type and favorite season the first time they talk to you anyways? After compiling my tag list, I was off to the “Parade,” a feature of the site that allows you to see people in your area, as well as a photo and a few of their likes and dislikes.

I scanned through and, after finding a few people of interest, hit the “flirt” button next to their profile. I was pleasantly surprised when I wasn’t sent directly to a chat page, but instead was asked to vote on light-hearted polls on the person, with ones like “Raptor Attack! How will we survive?” eliciting a chuckle. Starting off with the polls as a way to communicate definitely took the pressure off until I was ready to communicate through their simple and quick messaging page. Whenever I got a response, it would show up on my “News Feed,” (just like Facebook!), and made the process a lot less overwhelming.

Overall, I think that Kikini will be a big hit in the online dating market. And while the company is still expanding, they hope to extend their ability to pair up college singles by creating events and safe meeting places where matches can take their online experience into real life in a secure, stress free way. While one of the founders assures me that Kikini is a completely made up term, it does well to describe the atmosphere and sense of the site. Even though I may not have found my soul mate on Kikini, I urge NOVA students and other college-age singles to give it a shot.

By: Stephanie Tipple

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