ATLANTA — "Starting a new chapter in your life it can be isolating if you don't have friends that don't have children the same age as you," Emily Hertz.
Then Hertz, mom to a two-year-old discovered Peanut, an app developed by a mom for other moms to connect with the touch of a button.
"It's essentially Tinder for moms," Hertz, a blogger and consultant, told 11Alive.
That's because Peanut uses similar methodologies as dating apps. Founder Michele Kennedy, an executive who also helped launch dating app Bumble, sought to create Peanut as an alternative for moms, aggregating Facebook and Google profiles to connect moms looking to expand their network. After developing a profile, moms can swipe to match interests with other moms.
It was a new experience for Hertz, who met her husband the old fashioned way, through a friend.
"I never got on the dating app scene...but I felt a little jealous of my friends who got to meet people they might not have been otherwise exposed to on the Internet," she said.
The free app curates content by interests, location and more. but according to CEO Michelle Kennedy, the app does not share user data with advertisers.
We take user privacy and safety extremely seriously at Peanut. For that reason, we do not share personal data. We provide for certain exclusions to this in our policy when thinking about safety, or third party providers for the purpose of storage, for example, but we use all relevant encryption and security measures to prevent sharing of personal data," Kennedy told 11Alive.
The interface does help women schedule meetups, play dates or solicit anonymous advice on motherhood and beyond.
"Despite the joys of motherhood, many moms feel socially isolated," Dr. Lydia Odenat, a licensed Atlanta psychologist, said. "Many of which struggle with post-partum depression and for those with small children, lonely and looking for adult conversation."
Which is why Odenat often recommends her mom clients give apps like Peanut a try.
"Especially in a city like Atlanta where most of live in communities like little islands," Odenat said.
"We have neighbors, other women who are around the corner who have the same interest and have the same needs and also craving some adult attention," she said.
The technology offering an easy alternative to tap into new friendships and needed support.
"This is the day and age that we live in. Technology is a huge part of our lives," Odenat said. "The connections are the same, your values are the same. It's just using a different platform to connect."
According to the company, Peanut has garnered more than 300,000 users across launch cities in the U.S., with more than 19 million swipes.
"I just so can get behind the idea meeting as moms and connecting as a woman," Hertz said, adding she's looking forward to even more women joining the platform.
