Why Celeste turned to Google for dating: ‘I’m not leaving my house for just anyone’

Anyone who’s experienced modern dating knows the perils that come with it. No one is approaching other people in real life, and the invention of dating apps seems to have created a convenience around the ritual, resigning it to a chore no one wants to put their heart into – thus defeating the entire purpose. 

But one day, Aussie content creator Celeste Joan and her sister had a brainwave that may have saved her from the shark-infested waters of the dating pool. 

Instead of relying on the dry responses from men on dating apps to try and gauge their personality and compatibility, she decided to take it into her own hands.  

As a content creator of many years, known for her character impersonation of her Nonna, Celeste’s direct messages (or DMs) are flush with messages, many from men who were shooting their shot.

However, she never found herself able or willing to sort through them all with carefully curated responses. 

That was until her sister suggested creating a Google Form of tailored questions to vet the men in her DMs, to find out if they were worth the time before committing to any dates with them.

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“Then they can know that I’m taking this seriously and I’m not leaving my house for just anyone these days,” she told nine.com.au, adding, “The older [we] get, the pickier we are.”

The influencer got to work creating a Form of 10 questions – “We wanted to keep it short, just because we know men’s attention span is... you know” – filling it with questions like ‘Do you think dogs are better than cats?’ and ‘How do you feel about the Collingwood football club?’

Her favourite by far was, ‘What would you bring to Nonna’s house?’

“I just think it’s cute. It was a great way for people to talk about their family heritage,” she said, sharing the best response of the 300 she received did just that.

“My favourite one was probably learning about this guy’s culture. He was really funny.

“He was like, ‘Please contact me via carrier pigeon’, and then he told me about a cuisine that his grandma would cook for him. There were really thoughtful responses. It was beautiful.” 

Those who passed the first round were able to go on a date – but not with Celeste. First, they had to get through Nonna. 

The content creator did what she does best, turning the potential dates into a dating series on her TikTok account. 

Her “Nonna” begins each episode with the introduction, “Celeste doesn’t know how to pick a man, but now she knows, because I told her.” 

“My most viewed social reels is [of] my Nonna character that I play, and then the second most popular videos are my dating stories. So I was like, ‘Why don’t we combine the two and just make a little great show out of it?’” 

Five lucky men have been featured so far, but there are many others left in the dust, letting their feelings known to Celeste.

This may be due to them not being located in Melbourne, not being in the legal age range, and lack of compatibility with Celeste, among other reasons.

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“Some people are offended because I turned the Google Form into a dating series,” she shared.

“Some men would just reply, getting upset that I didn’t pick them.” 

The results from the Form revealed an invaluable insight into the male brain.

“I was so shocked at how many people applied, and how many people have followed up,” remarked Celeste.

“Men love a challenge, and so they actually will go for it.”  

But there were also some alarming insights, with the influencer revealing 15 per cent of respondents don’t drive and don’t have a car, and 10 per cent of them admitted to having a criminal record – though Celeste thinks the statistic is actually higher, since many probably haven’t told the truth. 

Though she hasn’t had luck with the first five dates, she still has another odd 295 or so to go. 

But rather than learn about the men she’s on dates with, she has gleaned an even more profound lesson about how women can take agency in their dating lives. 

“As women, we should ask better questions,” she said, encouraging her followers to try using a Google Form in their own dating lives, whether by sharing it with the people in their DMs or as an icebreaker on dating apps. 

“Instead of wasting your time, ask better questions to vet the men you’re going on a date with, and get to know who’s in your DMs. 

“Because Instagram and social media can be a form of dating and can be a modern day dating app if you use it correctly.”