Statistics

Green dating is becoming a trend among UK daters, according to a new study by dating app Bumble.

In recent months, Bumble added a feature for daters to include values in their profiles, not only to highlight their priorities to other daters, but also to support a cause, including for environmental, social or political justice. Each time a user sends a message to another user, the company will donate to select organizations that work for these causes. 

According to Bumble, 27 percent of UK users selected “environmentalism” as their highest value.

The attitudes of Indian singles towards dating, sex and intimacy are changing as a result of the global pandemic. Interestingly, their parents’ attitudes are shifting along with them.

According to Mint, a recent survey of Bumble users pointed towards this cultural shift, with 34 percent of respondents from India saying they were “more open to exploration” when it comes to sex, ahead of users in the U.S., Australia, Canada and the U.K. This finding was part of a larger study of users across different countries taken over the summer, including over 2,000 participants from India.

A majority of Indians – 65 percent – said the pandemic has changed their approach to sex and intimacy. Almost one in three respondents (33 percent) said they have started living with someone they met on a dating app since the second wave of Covid hit India in March and lockdowns began, according to Mint.

Woman Tearing Down OkCupid Ad

Image: Twitter

Dating app OkCupid has responded to a viral video showing a woman tearing down posters of its new LGBTQ+ ad campaign “Every Single Person” from a subway train in New York. Two other passengers joined her in the effort, and one filmed and posted the rant.

The notably unmasked woman was reacting to the campaign’s bold images, featuring queer people, pansexuality, and people who identify as non-binary. As she tore down the signs, she claimed to be concerned about children seeing the images, saying that the ads were “affecting the next generation” and calling them “propaganda.”

She also called the images “disgusting” and said that it’s “not about equality, you guys…it’s about communism” with no additional context.

Image: Happn

Happn, one of the most popular dating apps, is launching new voice features to help its users better connect.

According to India TV News, the new features will be rolled out globally over the next few weeks. One of the new features allows users to add an audio note up to two minutes long in their profile, so that other users can get an idea of their personality from their voice. Happn is also rolling out an audio chat feature that allows people who match to talk with each other directly over the app. 

The third audio feature is audio feed, where Happn will offer a feed of profiles in which users will be able to hear the voices of potential matches before seeing the rest of their profiles (like their photos, bios, etc.) – emphasizing the importance of the connection someone feels to a person’s voice, instead of just viewing their photos or interests. It’s an intriguing new way for users to assess their matches.

Match Group has unveiled a fresh look for both its website and logo. The redesign comes as the company focuses on its global strategy and adds more interactive and entertainment-based content, indicating a shift from traditional swiping.

According to Global Dating insights, the new logo moves away from employing its traditional block letters to a more fluid and simple design. The capital M and G flow together in one continuous line with two dots above the “M” to represent two people whose hands are linked. The cursive G connected to the M also represents Match’s focus on the global community and to making connections across countries and demographics. Their new colors are also a cool electric blue and teal to make it more “inviting,” according to Global Dating Insights.

Tinder released a new study of dating app users in India, finding that their attitudes and behavior are changing, particularly in the last year as people grappled with dating during a pandemic. The company found that users engaged with each other over the app 32 percent longer compared to this time last year, and nearly half had video chatted with a match.

The company’s Future of Dating report also found that individual engagement on its app had increased – with swipes up 11 percent and matches up 42 percent per user over the same period.

The study points out that many of India’s dating app users are younger and aren’t necessarily looking for anything serious, a shift from the traditional marriage-focused dating culture. In fact, 62 percent of respondents said they wanted to “see where things go” when it comes to meeting new people and weren’t comfortable conforming to society’s expectations of dating.