Facebook is dabbling into dating soon. No, really. I’m a big proponent of social media outlets advancing, adopting, and testing features. I am, however, not keen on them thinking they have to cater to users for their romantic interests. Nope, nope, and NOPE!
As the Wall Street Journal noted back in August, millennials are ditching dating apps like Tinder in favor for slow dating. As one female interviewee stated in the article, there is an online perception and an in-person perception of potential mates:
“I still wish there were more ways to meet people organically and in person,” she says. “People are different when they talk to you from behind a screen.”
As digitally-savvy Millennials and others seek out alternatives to the soul-sucking found in dating apps, how does Facebook think they can draw singles in—given the wide mistrust they face from much of their users?
Here’s The Deal
Facebook recently it’ll go through with creating a “Dating” feature, with an initial launch in Colombia. It was originally announced in May of this 2018. The impetus behind this? Over 200 million users list their status as “single” and hope they can fill the void.
“This is going to be for building real long-term relationships,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said, “not just for hookups.”
What’s the intention behind this?
Facebook has hammered out details like limiting users to expressing interest in a maximum of 100 people per day, spotlighting personal questions as well as photos, and defaulting to show you friends-of-friends as well as strangers unless you only want to see people with no mutual connections. If the test goes well, expect Facebook to roll Dating out to more countries shortly as the social network pushes its mission to create meaningful connections and the perception that it can be a force of good.
How Will This Affect Facebook Users?
Will they take additional information? What will go into this? TechCrunch says users for the Dating tab must be at least 18 in the U.S. or the local equivalent to sign-up and launch via mobile:
The basic flow is that users 18 and up (or the local ‘Adult’ equivalent) will see a notice atop their News Feed inviting them to try Facebook Dating when it comes to their country, and they’ll see a shortcut in their bookmarks menu. For now Facebook Dating is mobile-only, and will is bundled into the social network’s main iOS and Android apps….They’ll opt in, verify their city using their phone’s location services, and decide whether to add details like a free-form bio, workplace, education, religion, height, and if they have children.
What about pictures? It adds:
To fill out their profile, they’ll choose up to a dozen photos they upload, are tagged in, previously posted to Facebook, or cross-posted from Instagram as well as answer up to 20 questions about their personality such as “What does your perfect day look like?” or “What song always makes you sing along? How loud?”
How will you be matched? It explains:
Users can select to filter their matches by distance (up to a maximum radius of 100 kilometers), if they have children, religion, height, and age. They may then browse through the homescreen’s Suggested matches list, or they can choose to ‘Unlock’ Events and Groups they’re part of to see people from those who’ve done the same. Anyone you’ve blocked on Facebook won’t show up, though unfriended exs might. To see the next person, they either have to say they’re not interested, or choose a photo or question from the person’s profile and send them a message related to it (or at least they’re supposed to), and afterwards the sender can’t see the recipient any more…The text and emoji-only messages go through a special Facebook Dating chat section, not Messenger, and land in the recipient’s Interested tab with no read receipts. If they reply, the chat moves to both people’s Conversations tab. From there they can decide to connect elsewhere online or meet up in person.
Facebook Developers insist there are no “swipe left” or “swipe right” options. This is an interesting process, but will need to be tested. Will it lead users to find “the one?” I’ll examine that below.
Will This Lead You to Meeting “The One”?
There are no guarantees that you’ll meet “the one” through Facebook Dating, however. The experience, experts say, is to be “entertaining” at best. Entertaining?
I know a few people in conservative politics who have met their spouses as a result of social media — including Facebook. That isn’t because Facebook offered dating services; it’s because they had mutual connections, common interests, and beliefs.
If you’re like me, or anyone who has been in the public eye, you have received Facebook messages in the past that are odd solicitations in the form of spam or highly inappropriate messages that are NSFW. Social media has already complicated offline social interactions—why is Facebook infiltrating this already saturated market, by only promising to be entertaining and not improve users’ chances of finding “the one??
Many of us are of the belief that successful, long-lasting dating that leads to marriage isn’t going to be found on an app, let alone a social media platform which has issues with data. If social media can be a facilitator of love, all power to that. However, people — especially Millennials — are craving more structured ways to meet potential matches that don’t include swiping or getting “ghosted” …
I’ll keep my eyes peeled and examine this when it rolls out here in the U.S.
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What did you think of this piece? Am I on-target or off-mark?
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