Tinder co-founder Whitney Wolfe launched Bumble last year and, in doing so, transformed online dating as we know it.
In essence, Bumble is just like Tinder, but women are the only ones who can start conversations with their matches, and the connection disappears after 24 hours of silence. In the case of same-sex matches, either person can start, but the 24-hour rule still applies.
Wolfe claims she created the “ladies first” rule to empower more young women to make the first move not only online but also in person. Each message they send should be a veritable confidence boost.
Like many women on Tinder, I have had the distinct pleasure of receiving cheesy or sometimes offensive pickup lines, boring “hey” openers or just a line of water droplet emojis on a good day. So I was intrigued when I found out these could all be avoided.
Bumble, however, does more than promote female first moves. Wolfe has said Bumble is truly trying to facilitate connections more than trying to be a go-to hook up app. Thus, a user’s bio shows their age, location, educational background and their current occupation if that information exists on their Facebook profile.
Bumble even has a way of distinguishing matches with good behavior on the app. The algorithm is apparently based on how judicious people are in their swipes and how often they respond to messages.
This is all super in-depth for a simple thumb exercising app, but it’s creating a certain level of safety for the users, as well as creating an environment for actual connection.
The app has a host of other guidelines and terms of service that basically protect people from sketchy characters.
No dick pics, no pictures of kids and no spamming.
I downloaded it. For research purposes, of course. There are still some things we have come to expect from straight guys on dating apps. Men holding fish, bios that say things like, “Let’s get rowdy,” and the classic, “Which one are you?” game.
However, in general, the app felt safe. I had the ability just to let my matches expire when I realized an unfortunate amount of them had neck beards.
Bumble is the perfect place for those of us who are tired of spooky messages and borderline-pornographic Tinder moments. It cuts down on those matches that sit around and collect dust in your app and, in theory, only shows you the people you want to see.
meickhof@indiana.edu
