Facebook Dating Launches in the U.S.
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-dating-united-states-launch-2019-9
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-dating-announces-secret-crush-2019-4
On September 5th, 2019, Facebook launched its own dating service in the U.S., its second largest user base. It is designed to rival dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge, where users swipe left or right to dislike or like and can start messaging if they match. The difference with Facebook, however, is that its dating service is seamlessly embedded within the app as a tab. In the tab, users are greeted with a familiar news-feed scrollable interface. This design makes it more likely for users to utilize the dating service. Another aspect that makes Facebook simpler and less daunting to use is the data they have on all its users which you can use to filter potential matches. You can find someone who has been to a certain event, or is part of a group, or likes the same pages you do. Users don’t have to fill out their information and answer questions unlike other apps because Facebook already has the information.
Facebook also has the option of toggling whether you want to see matches that you have mutual friends with. This new feature makes it more likely for the distance between two nodes in a network to become shorter. By connecting with a friend of a friend, you form an edge, which only adds more nodes into your network that you could possibly connect with at a future time. In addition, have mutual friends with a person makes it more likely for you to be more open to forming a relationship, as they are not complete strangers since you have at least something in common. Another interesting feature of Facebook’s dating service, is called Secret Crush. This allows you to anonymously choose a Facebook friend you have a crush on and if they also use Facebook Dating and chooses you back, then both people get notified. The rationale behind this feature seems to try to spark a romance between two secret admirers but also avoids awkwardness or discomfort if one of them is an unrequited love. It definitely makes confessing a lot easier, and increases the chances of two people escalating their weak bond into a strong one.