When Divya Giri, a 25-year-old content writer from Gurugram, clicked the share button on her Instagram, she never imagined that what started as an experiment and a joke would eventually leave her feeling ‘heartbroken’.

Divya says, “I posted that reel after seeing something similar happening in Japan. Since I didn’t have a website, I decided to post it on my Instagram.” According to her, there were three reasons behind asking for money to go on a date, none of which were related to money.

What are the three reasons? We will discuss this in a bit, but first let us tell you more about this ‘viral’ reel.

Viral Reel

Instagram’s algorithm is always mysterious, and what goes viral may be beyond our understanding.Sometimes) However, several factors like relatability and shareability may contribute to its popularity. Sometimes, a reel not only makes you laugh but also makes headlines.

One such viral reel that not only made headlines recently but also surprised a lot of people was “A girl offers to go on a date for money.”

The Instagram reel reads, “Take me on a date and let’s make some great memories together.” According to the reel, this date comes at a price (quite literally).

Now, if you are wondering what these prices were and how was the date experience? The reel reads:

• Chill Coffee Date: Rs 1,500
• Normal date (dinner and movie): Rs 2,000
• Meeting family: Rs 3,000
• Event Companion: Rs 3500
• Bike date (holding hands): Rs 4,000
• Public post about our date: Rs 6,000

You can also add “add-ons” to your date, including experiences like:

• Cooking together at home: Rs 3,500
• Shopping spree: Rs 4,500
• Weekend trip (2 days): Rs 10,000

Watch the reel here:

Divya’s reel not only went viral but also created a lot of buzz. The video has garnered over 9.1 million views and over 10,000 comments. Take a look at some of them (we have picked out some of the ‘good’ comments):

Now, as absurd as the idea of ​​renting yourself out seems, so does calling someone names and being nasty in the comments section to someone you don’t even know.

But why did Divya post about this in the first place? She tells us this.

‘Money was never the reason’

“I saw a rental trend in Japan where you can rent your boyfriend. It has become quite popular, especially during Valentine’s Day,” says Divya.

According to her, she wanted to do something similar in India with some intentions.

Firstly, she wanted to see “how people would react to it” and secondly, she posted it as a joke. However, she was open to going on a date if, in her words, “he was nice enough.”

“Money was never the reason. I have a job and my family supports me. I saved money so that I could filter out some guys and not go out with weird people,” says Divya.

She adds, “I really thought I’d get some good comments and go out and have a good time with a stranger.”

Another reason, according to Divya, was to get “some engagement on social media”, which she apparently succeeded in doing.

He also thought that this video could help people who are feeling lonely in their fast-paced lives.

Why are these services successful in Japan?

“Renting a boyfriend” is nothing new in Japan. In fact, in Japan you can not only rent a boyfriend or girlfriend, but you can also rent a father or a family member.

Think people in Japan are lonely? Yes, that’s right. A recent survey published in Japan News in 2023 shows that about 40 percent of people in Japan are lonely.

Furthermore, in February 2021, then-Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga appointed Tetsushi Sakamoto to the role of Japan’s first “minister of loneliness” to address rising suicide rates in the country. Japan’s ageing population and lifestyle choices are to blame.

Experts believe that this is the reason why such services are quite common and accepted in Japan.

Counselling psychologist Shreya Kaul too agrees with this concept and explains india today Loneliness continues to be a problem in Japan as a nation.

Shreya says, “Loneliness is by far one of the biggest issues and concerns people face in terms of mental health. So, services like girlfriend rental or hugging have been introduced so that men don’t feel lonely or people in general don’t feel lonely. So, from that perspective, I think maybe Japan and Japanese culture and people were more accepting of it.”

According to experts, the second reason is that sex is not a taboo subject in Japan unlike India.

another similar reel

Divya was not the only one who uploaded a reel about renting herself out for a date. In fact, model and athlete Prince Singh also uploaded a similar reel in which he told how he can go on a date at different prices.

Her reel also crossed over one million views, and even though she got some hate for it, it wasn’t as severe as Divya’s.

Check out his reel:

But why did he get so much hate? Is there a deeper meaning to it and is it a reflection of our society? Well, experts say yes.

‘Calling someone a ‘prostitute’ is also an insult’

In India, even if there is no intention to be inappropriate, a rental plan can go wrong on multiple levels, says Absie Sam, a Mumbai-based counselling psychologist.

“One reason, of course, is gender roles that dictate how women should behave, and also moral policing,” Absey says.

Shreya also agrees with this. She explains that patriarchal influence is very strong in India, and while individuals [who uploaded the reel] Even if your intentions are good and you aren’t ‘dirty’, the context of the country and culture plays a huge role in this.

“In a country where a woman’s honour is linked to the prestige of the family, any service rendered by a woman is frowned upon,” says Shreya.

She also says that in India, “calling someone a prostitute or a whore is still considered an insult, and sex workers are not respected; they are looked down upon. So, whenever someone tries to hire out services to someone else, it is automatically assumed that the person is disgusting and lowly.”

“There is a stigma attached to it,” says Shreya.

“In India, discussions about sex and romantic partners are still done secretively and behind closed doors, so a concept like this wouldn’t work,” says Shreya.

Eventually, Divya who posted this reel came to know that what is encouraged in countries like Japan is blatantly trolled in India.