Perhaps you are right, however people that are shy and awkward in a natural setting, won’t they also be shy and awkward in a setting which they have manipulated in their favor? I have my doubts about the success rate of these efforts compared to no-effort.

You are right, I might be the one who is tone deaf here, but I still get a strange vibe from people that do this kind of thing, and personally I think I would feel uncomfortable around them.