HOPKINSVILLE, Ky. (WTVF) — Making friends as an adult can be challenging, but one Kentucky business owner is putting a unique spin on speed dating to help people find platonic connections rather than romantic ones.
Kate Russell, founder of Hopkinsville Brewing Company, recently hosted a "friend speed dating" event where participants had two minutes to chat with potential new friends using conversation starter questions.
"It's not like elementary school where you just walk up to someone on the playground and you're like – hey I like your backpack, do you want to be best friends," Russell said.
The event featured ice-breaker questions like "If you became invisible for one day, what would you do?" Participants rotated through brief conversations, signaled by a bell every two minutes.
Russell said the idea came from recognizing how difficult it can be for adults to form genuine connections in person.
"People need to connect more," she said. "And I think that, as social media becomes so much bigger and people stay in touch that way, it's getting harder and harder to connect in real life."
For some attendees, the structured environment provided a comfortable way to meet people in a new community. Ericka, who moved to Hopkinsville from Las Vegas, found the event helpful.
"It is, especially as an adult, it's really hard to make friends," she said.
By the end of the evening, Russell's vision appeared successful, with several participants who hadn't known each other before the event continuing conversations at the same table.
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