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(ABC – Australia) When 33-year-old Noviandi first came across a TikTok account offering to rent a girlfriend or boyfriend, he was skeptical and suspected it might be a scam.
The account, which has just a few thousand followers, posts blurry photos of Indonesian women and men, all promising to be “your dream partner.”
One post read: “Sierra will always be there for you.”
Another said: “Jean loves you no matter what.”
This was just the comfort Noviandi needed.
“I just want a friend I can talk to, a friend I can share my daily life with, a friend I can express my feelings to,” he said.
Reviews from previous customers praised the rental partner’s service and quality. So he decided to give it a try.
The platform provides online and offline services
Florencia Ghea Priscilla, 22, known as Florence, launched her companion rental service, PinjemDoi, two years ago.
Every week, she receives 200 to 300 “orders” from clients across Indonesia to choose one of their 30 rental partners.
“For online orders, you can choose to text, audio call, video call, and even request selfies, flirty voice notes, play mobile games together and make phone calls,” she said.
Sleep calls (talking to callers until one of them falls asleep) have become a popular service in Indonesia in recent years.
Customers can also invite their rental partners to go shopping, watch a movie or hang out in a cafe.
People even bring their rental partners to formal events like graduations and weddings to avoid awkward questions like whether they are single.
Prices vary depending on the service provided. Simple selfies or voice messages start at $1, while in-person appointments and video calls go up to $8 per hour.
Florence said many people in Indonesia never had the opportunity to date or had no one to express their feelings to.
She envisioned a service that would connect customers with their “dream partner.”
She said: “Real-life relationships can sometimes be dramatic or full of arguments, but our actors are trained to always put the best foot forward.”
Florence said that while it is uncommon, there have been instances of rental partners and clients developing real-life romantic relationships.
“One couple even got married,” she said.
“I was a bit shocked at the time… the leasing partner resigned and shortly after, they sent me a wedding invitation.”
Safety first
Rental companion programs originated in Japan in the early 21st century, when some companies began to provide services to individuals seeking companionship without the obligations of traditional relationships.
Pici, who wishes to remain anonymous, saw an opportunity to launch a similar service in Indonesia and founded Rentmate.id.
“It turns out that many Indonesians are interested in this kind of service,” she said.
Both Pici and Florence noted that they prioritize the safety of their rental partners.
Florence explained that PinjemDoi requires customers to provide a photo of their ID before any interaction.
She added: “The date has to be in a public place.”
“If a client invites a rental partner to their home or hotel, we immediately turn them down.”
Rentmate.id has taken other precautions, such as refusing to allow online orders via video calls because of the risks this could pose to rental partners’ safety.
The concern is that customers could take screenshots of video calls and use them for other purposes.
There are also male partners
Justin was the pseudonym he chose when he joined Rentmate.id and was the first male talent recruited by the platform.
Customers have booked Justin multiple times, describing him as bubbly and easy-going.
One time, a client liked him so much that he asked for him to come seven days in a row.
Justin said the key to his success is adaptability and being able to blend in with people of different personalities.
“We have to be able to control our emotions,” he said.
“We can’t be in a bad mood when interacting with customers.”
Justin stressed that it is crucial to maintain professionalism, especially when engaging in intimate and romantic interactions with clients.
“You can’t (develop) affection, that’s the point… It’s just a rental service, the client is the client,” he said.
Despite the nature of his job, Justin has always been open about his part-time job with those close to him, including his family and even his girlfriend.
“I told her I was doing it before we started dating,” he said.
“I explained it was just a rental, we were never serious and I was getting paid (to be their boyfriend).”
His girlfriend agreed to the idea and just asked Justin to always be honest with her about his experiences.
“Even my mom supports me,” he said.
“She said, ‘It’s OK, you can do whatever you want.'”
Experts remain skeptical
Psychologist Indah Sundari, founder of Sundarindah Psychological Corner, said several factors have led to a surge in demand for rental partners in Indonesia.
“Humans have a fundamental need for affection,” she said.
“It’s the need to connect with other people, the need to be loved and cared for by other people.”
A 2022 survey of more than 1,000 Indonesian men and women by the Jakarta Collaborative Center for Health found that loneliness was the second-largest contributor to mental health problems in the country.
“Forty-six percent of Indonesians feel lonely. That’s a big number,” Ms Sundari said.
But Ms Sandri is sceptical about the long-term sustainability of the rental partnership phenomenon.
“Humans, especially Indonesians, tend to gravitate towards things that are immediate and fast,” she said.
“Finding a true partner is not an easy and quick process.”
“You have to wait for the right person, get to know them first, and then go through an adjustment period when you start dating.
“All this takes time.”
Ms. Sundari stressed the temporary nature of leasing partnerships.
“You invest so much time, energy and money into a stranger and you have no idea who they are,” she said.
She advises that people who feel lonely should not turn to rental services but seek help from professionals.
She also strongly advises people to take their time to find a true partner.
“It’s okay if the process is long, and it’s okay if sometimes you have to start from scratch,” she said.
“It’s a long-term investment that will pay off in the end.”
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