When Married at First Sight was first announced, we collectively launched into our usual routine of “How disgraceful. How dare they. What time is it on?”. The prospect of people deciding they would be paired with a stranger on the high-stakes version of a blind date was deeply disturbing to a lot of people. Of course, we would never do something like that, but we sure did enjoy watching others do it – and maybe that’s because, deep down, we understand the appeal. Our Matchmakers have compiled a list of the top reasons why arrangements such as Married at First Sight are attractive to modern-day singles:

–      Convenience: Dating is hard. And time consuming. Who hasn’t fantasised about skipping all the drama and having Mr/Mrs Right fall right into their lap ready to spend the rest of their life with you?

–      Fear of being alone: While morbid, yes, it is an inherent human fear. Especially for modern-day-got-to-have-it-all singles who have spent a majority of their time building careers, homes and platonic relationships only to realise they haven’t allowed themselves time to find a romantic life partner. We get it, what is the point of the perfect life if there’s no one to share it with?

–      Desire to settle down: In an age of exorbitant technology use, more and more people are meeting romantic interests online. While this is perfect for those less confident, it has also created a climate of “fast-dating”. When you have an ocean of potential dates a few swipes away, what’s the point in settling for just one? However, this becomes exhausting for those of us who are looking for more than a hook-up. How do we sort through our matches to find the ones who are actually looking to stick around a little longer than one night? Cue Married at First Sight, and saying goodbye to bad one night stands and being left on read.