By Leah Martindale, Film & TV Editor
Social networking app Bumble is running a promotion for International Women's Day and the experience itself follows through on its women-first messaging.
If, like me, you are perpetually - perhaps fatally - single, you will be well-versed in the world of dating apps. From the proudly swipe-for-a-shag services to those that take themselves far too seriously for a dating app, one will always reign supreme: the humble Bumble.
The layout is similar to any you will be familiar with if you have used dating apps before. Profiles are laid out with pictures and basic information - including age, height, and political leanings - interspersed with quippy answers to prompts intended to make one’s self stand-out from the onslaught of singletons found upon opening your phone.
I was first introduced to the app by a friend’s slightly older, much fitter brother - JO, if you’re reading this, truth hurts. He posed the app as being ‘like Tinder, but with a higher quality of matches’. As practically a Tinder professional, I am loathe to confess it, but if you’re actually looking for a date rather than an overused underwhelming opener you’ve had ten times that day, Bumble might be for you.
Bumble has three modes - Date, BFF, and Bizz. Date is self-explanatory; BFF allows you to connect with likeminded people looking for friendship over fraternising - eliminating the weirdos who pretend they’re on dating apps to ‘make friends’ as a guise to getting in your gusset; and Bizz, a Linkedin-esque attempt to build business connections, find or become a mentor, or just expand your personal ‘hive’.
As I have more friends than I really need, and an Arts degree - so I waved goodbye to job prospects in 2016 - I am most acquainted with the mellow yellow interface trying to find me a man. As with all dating apps, you may have to kiss a few frogs before you find your ‘woah he is so out of my league’ moment, but the app is an overall more friendly platform than others I’ve encountered without the apparent assumption that anyone you swipe on is now indebted to you til death do you part, as you are more likely to find with apps geared to older daters, or so I’ve heard from a friend...
The most unique factor of Bumble is its platform’s assertion of the woman’s role in dating. Once matched with your prospective Prince - or Princess - Charming the woman has 24 hours to send the first message. Dawdle, debate, or dither and you lose your chance. No man can message a woman without her first instigating something, removing the awkward over-keen message from an accidental match, and putting the cards back in our hands for once.
This month, Bumble are offering students an International Women’s Day themed giveaway of tickets to #SheStartedIt Live, a 2 day festival in London where you can connect with some of the most inspiring businesswomen in the UK. The competition ends on International Women’s Day (8 March 2020). To win, all you need is to have setup a Bumble profile in any of its three forms (Date, BFF or Bizz) and swipe until you find the #SheStartedIt Live in-app profile.
So, if you found yourself alone again on Valentine’s Day - it’s empowering, right? - if you’re in need of some new pals with your old ones graduating and moving away before your very eyes, or if you are looking for some business and life advice without interrupting your Dad’s nightly newspaper, look no further. Bumble is quickly overtaking its competitors in public opinion and for good reason. Don’t believe me? Give it a swipe - I might see you there!
Featured image: Bumble
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