Facebook Dating: The Next Player In Online Matchmaking
Facebook Dating is here. If the 2010 movie The Social Network is accurate with portraying the creation of Facebook, we learned that the finishing touch to Mark Zuckerberg’s project was to include a section on one’s profile stating their relationship status. The movie transcript goes as such:
EDUARDO
What’d you write?.
MARK goes back to the profile page. There’s a new area to be
filled in…
MARK
“Relationship Status”, “Interested In”.
(BEAT)
These two things are what drive life at
college. Are you having sex or aren’t
you. It’s why people take certain
classes, sit`where they sit, go where
they go, do what they do, and at its, um,
center,`you know, that’s what theFacebook
is gonna be about, People are gonna log
on because after all the cake and
watermelon there’s a chance they’re gonna-
EDUARDO
–meet a girl.
MARK
–get laid. Yes.
Flash forward 19 years after eharmony was created, 7 years after Tinder launched and 15 years after the release of their own social platform, Facebook finally made the decision to become cupid themselves by announcing their latest feature on the Facebook Newsroom, Facebook Dating.
Dating apps today all share the same vision of making it easier for their users to find love. Even with a shared vision though, each application has a certain stigma around it that attracts specific users.
Tinder thrives off of hookup culture, Bumble is for the shy guy and eharmony is for finding “true love.” So, where is Facebook Dating going to fall?
Online dating itself has become a $3 billion industry, and with the advantage of having 2.41 billion monthly active users, it is no surprise why Facebook decided to get in on the action. After launching in September it is time we take a look into the new application and what differences it offers for helping to find your forever.
Table of Contents
What Is Facebook Dating?
At the moment, this new feature is available in 19 countries and can be accessed through Facebook’s mobile app. Right now, there are no other downloads, fees or extensions required for using the dating feature.
From first glance, the application mimics the same functionality as other popular dating apps like Tinder and Bumble. A picture of another Facebook Dating user is displayed and you have the choice whether to “Like” or “Dislike” their profile.
If the user you likes you back then you’re a match and now have the chance to message one another. The functionality really is just like every other dating application but there are three things that stand out when using Facebook’s dating feature:
- Mutual Friends: Under each Facebook Dating profile there is a list of mutual friends that you share with the dating prospect.
- Secret Crush: There is a section when setting up your profile where you can set a special someone as your Facebook Secret Crush. A Secret Crush can be anyone on Facebook or Instagram that you have been “crushing on.” Once you add them to this section they will receive a notification that someone has a “crush” on them. Your name will only be displayed only if they “crush” on you back. Facebook Dating offers nine Secret Crush Spots on your profile.
- Matches from Facebook Groups & Event: Facebook dating offers you the chance to pair with users who are in the same Facebook Groups as you or have attended the same events as you in the past.
Facebook Dating Profile
The dating profile you create on Facebook Dating is supposedly separate from your main Facebook profile. Meaning that the application cannot pull data that would be used to target ads. However, with Facebook’s track record I wouldn’t hold your breath very long on this.
When creating your Facebook Dating profile, Facebook pulls information from your main profile where you then select what you wish to be displayed. Facebook Dating also lets you select up to nine photos to be displayed on your dating profile which prospects can swipe through.
Your Facebook Dating profile also has an Intro Section displayed under your photos where you have 500 characters available for describing yourself. Facebook recommends using three sentences, three words or even three emoji’s.
The other information you can choose to feature on your profile includes your location, gender, height, job title, religion, schooling and whether or not you have children.
During setup, you can edit your Ideal Match preferences. Much like every other dating application, users can select if they are interested in dating men, women or everyone. You also set your preferred dating location, your preferred dating distance, age-range and height range.
Facebook Dating also has a feature for filtering through individuals based on their religious views and whether or not they have kids.
Diving a little further into the Facebook Dating profile setup, under General, you can enable your Instagram posts to be displayed on your profile. You also can also share with your friends on your main Facebook account that you have signed up for the Facebook dating service.
Dating & Safety
There is one last thing on Facebook Dating that can be the key feature for determining the application’s success.
In a world filled with creepers, scammers and catfishers there is plenty of reasons to be skeptical when meeting someone online.
There is a danger surrounding meeting a person in real life after only talking with one another online. First-time interactions can be stressful as anyone can lie about who they are and their intentions.
With Facebook Dating, some of these potential risks are alleviated with their new security feature.
After talking with an individual you can share your location for a select period of time with certain friends and family of your choosing.
That way, if you decide to meet up with your match you can have someone know where you are, who you are with and what you are doing. It is a step towards improving and making online dating safer.
How It Stacks Up Against Other Matchmaking Websites
Facebook Dating is the newest addition to online matchmaking services. As previously mentioned, it is only available currently in 19 countries which include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Singapore and others.
There is not yet enough hype around the new dating service or any indication whether or not that it will be able to compete with other dating apps. For now, much like how Facebook Messenger started, Facebook Dating is in its early stages.