Relationships

Dating app Bumble has awarded new grants to three female leaders as part of its Moves Making Impact program, which honors female leaders taking on some of the greatest challenges the world faces today. 

Bumble’s “cause” feature, which funds the program, was introduced to bring attention to women who are making a real impact in their communities and the larger world, and to inspire and empower women using the app. When setting up a profile, Bumble users are prompted to choose a cause that is important to them – like public policy, human rights, or economic development, and each time you send someone a message on the app, Bumble will make a donation to a woman doing that work in her community.

The company announced the newest recipients of the fund, which focuses on human rights, women’s health, and inclusivity in art and culture. In total, Bumble has donated to eighteen female leaders through Moves Making Impact, along with Vital Voices Global Partnership.

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.

Tinder India has created and released a new film for its users about consent and what it looks like in modern-day dating culture. The purpose of the new film Closure is to spark conversation among daters and to help them create healthy boundaries. 

According to Business Insider India, the film centers around a young woman named Ria and her estranged ex-boyfriend Ved. The film starts with the two of them meeting on a beach and flashes forward through their budding romantic relationship. Then the movie cuts to a disturbed Ria and confused Ved sitting across from each other after some time has passed, having a difficult conversation about what drove them apart. We soon learn that Ved didn’t ask for her consent on their last night together. “You didn’t say no,” he insists, where Ria says “but I also didn’t say yes. I wish for once, you had asked.”

Ved later asked if she was seeing anyone, and it flashes to her budding new relationship with a man who does the things she longed for Ved to do – he asks permission before he kisses her or holds her hand. She also exercises more power in this new relationship by voicing what she wants, something she realizes she didn’t do while she was dating Ved. She has moved onto a happier, healthier relationship. 

The FTC in mid-September issued a statement urging people using LGBTQ+ dating apps to be cautious amid the growing number of scammers who operate on these apps.

Apps like Grindr and Feeld were named in particular as the FTC warned of an increasing number of scammers who seek explicit photos and then use them to extort money. According to Consumer Reports, the attackers pose as interested romantic partners and chat with intended victims. These scammers send explicit photos quickly, seeing who responds with a similar photo in return.

The next part plays out like an episode of Black Mirror, where if the victim does send an explicit photo in hopes of connecting in person, the attacker quickly turns on them and uses blackmail to extort money. The attackers threaten to send the photo to the victim’s personal networks, including family and friends or even an employer unless they pay (usually via gift card). 

Dating App Tinder launched its new Tinder Explore section, where users can find a more interactive matching experience that is focused on events and areas of interest where users can make connections.

According to Tech Crunch, the new section will offer an events space that includes Swipe Night, its popular interactive series where users can watch and strike up conversations, and “Hot Takes,” the app’s virtual speed dating experience. Swipe Night returns to the platform for a second season later this year, featuring a who-dunnit style mystery. This time, the series will include a “Fast Chat” feature where users can interact with each other without having to match as they watch the story unfold together. 

Tinder’s Hot Takes feature will also be housed in Tinder Explore, where users can start chatting with anyone who’s there. As a timer appears, they will be given a limited time to decide whether to match before their chat expires and they are sent to the next potential match. This feature was tested earlier this year for limited periods of time, and the company says millions have used it so far.