Abstract: Provided by aspects of the present invention is an online dating service that provides system driven interactions in addition to and/or alternative to user driven aspects of online dating. The online dating service provides a virtual setting in which two users at a time are presented with virtual scenarios to which they react and comment on. The virtual scenarios are more than mere images or a virtual environment to be navigated through, and instead include video clips (or animation) designed to elicit the emotional reactions of each user and to catalyze less guarded conversations between the users. That is, the virtual scenario presented to the two users on the virtual date provides context to the interaction and any reaction by a first one of the users can be interpreted by a second one of the users to mean something based on the expectations of the second one of the users and vice versa.