Move over Tinder, youngsters look forward to new dating feature in FB

The news of the feature, that could be introduced in a couple of months, has met with both flowers and brickbats – netizens excited over the possibility of one more accessible way to find romance online, while others have questioned if this is another way for Facebook to gather more personal data. 

However, in India – and in cities like Chennai – where users have been saturated with the algorithm of dating apps such as Tinder and OkCupid, expectations are high. S Rochelle, a dancer and techie in the city, said, “These days, all you can find are creeps, repetitive or fake profiles on dating apps – maybe it’s because Chennai is such a small city. After a year of using them, I have uninstalled dating apps altogether. I’m hoping that the FB feature will provide more transparency and will be a more refined way to verify and meet interesting profiles,” she said. 

Speaking about the new feature, many experts stated that the move is not a surprise, since many dating app companies (such as Tinder) depend on Facebook for its data 

by using a FB login to use the app. Sorav Jain, a social media professional, said, “There are over 200 million people on Facebook who list themselves as single and the website clearly understands the algorithm of what people dynamically do on their profiles.” He added, “Probably, stalking profiles of men and women, sending random friends requests, sending messages to unknown people, etc. So, dating is not a new phenomenon on Facebook — but this is going to only get better if the platform gets streamlined and helps people discover and get discovered.” 

Jain said, “Facebook kills anything that becomes a rage; for example, Snapchat. Instagram copied almost everything from Snapchat. It’s a wise move for Facebook to expand its market share and bring in authenticity, restrictions and mechanisms for dating.”

But some still hold reservations. PR consultant Ananya Baisantry said Facebook already knows too much. “I don’t think I want to be matched with my exes or with people I don’t talk to. I wouldn’t mind giving it a try, but I wouldn’t expect much either – everybody lies on social media, and it’s yet another way of helping me realise that I’m happy single.”