Tinder Co-Founder Whitney Wolfe recently introduced Bumble (free), the dating app where women make the first move. Similarly to Tinder, mutual matches are made via swiping; but with Bumble, the woman has to start the conversation within twenty-four hours or the match is gone.
As a feminist, I’m not convinced this is the holy grail of dating apps just because it flips gender roles on its head. However, I am intrigued by the possibility of a dating app where I don’t receive vulgar messages from men who haven’t learned to say hello. I’m critical of the app because, by design, it excludes the LGBT community. LGBT connections are encouraged, but the Bumble rules do not apply; therefore, the app isn’t different from its competition.
Since the app launched eight months ago, it has already garnered 500,000 users who spend an average of sixty-two minutes a day on the app. In an interview with Vanity Fair, founder Wolfe said, “If we can take some of the pressure off the man and put some of that encouragement in the woman’s lap, I think we are taking a step in the right direction, especially in terms of really being true to feminism. I think we are the first feminist, or first attempt at a feminist dating app.” She went on to express how times have changed wherein women are expected to compete in the same arenas as men when it comes to education, career, and finances but there remains a gap when we address relationships.
Personally, I’m not convinced Bumble is a big feminist revelation; in fact, I’m not sure it qualifies at all. But it may be the first dating app I give a serious try, and not only because I know I won’t be bombarded by ridiculous messages. As a company, Bumble has already branded itself toward female empowerment, which will instantly turn some people (who I wouldn't want to date) away. Every dating app has its own population; if Bumble attracts feminist men, that’s more of reason for me to try it than the feminist label it carries.
You can download Bumble in the App Store. Whitney Wolfe’s full interview with Vanity Fair can be found here.
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