Facebook’s New Dating Service Aims to Prevent the Triadic Closure Property
Facebook’s new dating service seems to offer everything other traditional dating sites do with its enormous network, but this article points out one potential twist. Despite Facebook’s typical mission to expand their users’ networks by linking them to those that they have mutual friends with, their dating service allows users to do the opposite. Since online dating is usually a more personal matter, Facebook enables people to maintain their privacy by preventing them from matching with those within their extended network. However, the option to connect with those sharing common interests, friends, and groups still remains an option.
This new feature aims to reverse what is suggested by the Triadic Closure Property discussed in lecture. Social media websites typically suggest users with mutual friends in order to encourage more interactions through their platform, but Facebook wants to branch out past social networking with its matchmaking. Rather than linking people with mutual friends, Facebook aims to do the contrary. This concept states that people are more likely to meet those that they have mutual friends with, but Facebook allows users to stop this from happening in order to keep their dating life private. Especially with the presence of social media, everyone seems to know everyone these days, so this will prove to be a difficult yet revolutionary feat.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2019/09/05/facebooks-new-dating-feature-your-burning-questions-answered/
interesting observation!