Watch out Tinder – there’s a new queen bee in town, and it’s turning the tables on the traditional dating scene.
Using a similar interface as Tinder, a new dating app called Bumble has you swipe left or right to indicate your interest based on a user’s profile, which includes pictures and a short biography. However, it has one distinct and defining difference: women control what happens next. After a match is made, the woman has only 24 hours to initiate a conversation or else the match disappears forever. The idea is for women to have more control over their romantic life and be more comfortable and confident in their interactions. Additionally, the app is attractive to men because the pressure is taken off them to be bold and make the first move. For many users, it’s a win-win.
Bumble shares another quality with its predecessor – CEO Whitney Wolfe. Wolfe, a co-founder of Tinder, parted ways with her former company on less than good terms. Filing a sexual harassment lawsuit against ex-boyfriend and fellow co-founder Justin Mateen, Wolfe left to create what she called may be the “first feminist or first attempt at a feminist dating app” in an interview with Vanity Fair. Wolfe views all the pressure on the men to move first while the woman merely sits on her hands as the unwritten rules of the current dating scene – and that is the exact dynamic that Bumble is attempting to revolutionize.
Bumble, for its part, is seeing impressive progress since it’s launch. The company reported to having reached 500,000 users in August and it doesn’t look like it will be slowing down anytime soon. Perhaps more interesting is the almost even ratio of men to women users. It appears both sexes are enjoying the idea of switching up the rules.
Many users will also be happy to hear of a “backtrack” option available on Bumble. If you are not paying attention and swipe someone the wrong way, you can merely shake your phone in order to reverse your decision. For users who are interested in the same-sex, either person is allowed to start the conversation. There is also an option to extend one connection each day for another 24 hours, in case one needs more time to build up their confidence or to find that perfect opening line.
At UVA, Bumble Campus Representative Vicky Stetekluh is looking to promote interest in the up and coming app.
“I became involved with Bumble when a friend of mine at Sewanee asked me if I would be interested in being a Rep. I looked into the company and loved what the app stood behind, so I decided to get involved. Being a female who isn’t afraid to make the first move, I loved the fact that the girl has to message the guy first. I think that this app could definitely bring change to the way our generation dates and meets people in general,” Stetekluh said.
You can download Bumble here.
