For some women, online dating may not always be a pleasant experience, especially with the abundance of creeps on the loose. Some men are just rude, inappropriate, and come on too strong to the point of freaking some women out.
Tinder has a solution. It's copying a much-lauded feature on rival dating app Bumble that allows women to have the option of being able to initiate conversations first. That means enabling it would prevent prospective dates — men only, for now — from sending them a message.
More Options For Women On Tinder
"Often, women don't really want the pressure of kicking off the conversation, but if they want it, that's great," said Mandy Ginsberg, CEO of Match Group, the company that owns Tinder and a host of other online dating services. "Giving people the choice versus telling people how to engage is the big difference."
Women may turn the feature on or off, if so they choose. This, along with other features reportedly in development, are Tinder's efforts to prevent bad behavior, negative advances, and inappropriate communication from occuring on the app.
Bumble
Such a feature is one of the most prized aspects of Bumble, an app that also has other things that give women more control over their online dating experience. Tinder cofounder Whitney Wolfe Herd left the company to start Bumble, suing her former employer for sexual harassment and discrimination. She reportedly receive $1 million as settlement.
Tinder's implementation is different in that it allows women to opt out of the option, whereas on Bumble it is the standard. Ginsberg said that while drawing feedback from users, the company found out that women don't always like being forced to initiate the first move, so Tinder is giving them the ability not to do that.
Wolfe Herd has commented on Tinder's new Bumble-inspired feature, saying that her company applauds those who implement business decision that benefit women empowerment.
It all makes sense, as the online space can often be a toxic place for women to be in, since it being virtual gives bad actors a protective layer of distance and anonymity to be hurtful, offensive, vile, and oftentimes misogynist toward women. By borrowing a feature from Bumble, Tinder is opting to give women the power to manage their own online dating experience by warding off potential creeps.
What do you think of Tinder's new feature? As always, if you have anything to share, feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
