Image: OkCupid

As we go into 2021, the pandemic and increased political engagement have shifted dating culture and the priorities of singles, according to a new study by OkCupid. The dating app found that its users are into so-called “Thunberging” and “Advo-dating,” according to Australia’s Body and Soul Magazine.

Advo-dating has come into vogue for 2021, with about 310,000 OkCupid users calling themselves activists, and even more sharing that political values are most important when choosing a match. The global protests for Black Lives Matter played an important role in placing politics front and center in new relationships, especially among young daters, who want their dates to share their values.

Image: Bumble

Dating app Bumble is offering its users a guidebook for dating as we enter the new year, after COVID disrupted social norms in 2020.

The company conducted a survey of its users to find that 40% admitted they no longer knew how to date in person, and a whopping 2/3 of respondents said navigating the COVID dating landscape made them uncomfortable. Bumble responded by offering a new guidebook entitled Bumble’s New Dating 101 in 2021 to carve a path forward for these uncertain daters. The guide includes how to have a conversation about dating, how to approach sex and intimacy, and how to safeguard your mental health during a pandemic. 

Online dating service eHarmony announced the launch of its new “Real Love” ad campaign, featuring candid moments of couples finding love in everyday, real life scenarios that will be broadcast on key media outlets across the U.S., U.K. and Australia.

There will be a total of seven ads according to the company’s press release, with the first three launching immediately. 

Each ad is a different scenario of love blossoming, the first of two women laughing after trying a new recipe that doesn’t taste so good, which leads to sharing a carton of ice cream and cozying up on the couch. Another features a young woman on eHarmony’s app who is messaging and sharing silly photos of herself with a love interest, with the narrator explaining that real love is “letting someone see every side of you” and “knowing you could be yourself.” The third ad shows a man surprising his date with a romantic setting of glowing red lanterns lining a patio, with a narrator saying “real love is making moments that last forever.”

My Transsexual Date is a dating site that caters specifically to the transgender singles community, and since its launch in 2014, has become the leading online dating platform for transgender women and trans oriented men looking for love.

Currently, the website has over 25 million page views per month, more than one million profiles worldwide, 55,000 monthly active users, and 600 new daily subscribers. The platform also sees about 75,000 messages sent per day between users. My Transsexual Date is not yet available as a mobile app, but the website works well on smartphones if you prefer to set up a profile that way.

Some benefits of their dating platform: there’s a higher level of moderation than on regular apps to avoid fake and indecent profiles, as well as to curb harassment. There’s also no advertising, a rarity in the online dating market.

Dating app Hinge has partnered with popular taco chain Chipotle as well as Uber Eats to offer a new “Cuffing Season” menu and delivery service for daters. 

According to CNN, the new menu will include three special selections: “Day Date” which includes two entrees and a side of chips and salsa, “Date Night” featuring two entrees, a side of chips and queso and two Tractor drinks, and the “Hinge Date” for the solo riders, with one entrée, one side of chips and salsa, and one Tractor drink. According to Fox Business, these options will be available for free delivery or discounts at certain times during the promotion.

Dating app Bumble was informed earlier this year that its software had vulnerabilities that could expose the personal information of its 100 million users around the world.

Researchers from Independent Security Evaluators (ISE) found a problem with the app’s API that allowed them to access personal data for all of its users across platforms, including details such as their political leanings, astrological signs, education, height, weight, and even how far away they were in addition to the city they lived in, according to Threatpost. Another problematic issue for Bumble was that the research team was able to bypass the payment process for premium services, effectively accessing them for free.