Facebook is getting into the dating game. At their developers’ event in California last week, Mark Zuckerberg announced a new dating feature for Facebook. The feature will be opt-in only and will feature only the users’ first names. You can scan through people’s dating profiles (separate from their FB profile) and select whether or not you’re interested in them. If you both see each other and show interest, you’ll be connected through a built-in messenger feature.
Tindr has had the dating app scene under control for a while, but like Snapchat, Facebook seems to be out to take some of the spotlight. This foray into online dating isn’t surprising since many (1 in 3) relationships already begin online. It is an obvious move towards Facebook becoming the one-stop app for most of your social media needs.
What Parents Should Know
There hasn’t been a release date announced for Facebook’s dating feature. It is, however, said to be completely separate from your Facebook account and it’s a feature that you have to opt-in to so it isn’t automatically available. If your kids or teens are on Facebook, they will likely have the option to join the dating feature since the age limit is set at 13 for the social media service.
I recommend not allowing your younger kids to use apps like Tindr since they are meant to make contacts for face to face meetups. There are many healthy relationships that have started on dating apps but there are also many stories of young people being tricked into accepting invitations from people who have no business contacting them. I would put Facebook’s dating option on my list of dangers for your kids under 18. It is a feature that is intended for adults and should only be used by adults. I also warn against messing around with it as a married person. As crazy as it may sound, many people who aren’t interested in dating use these apps to just check what kind of people would be interested in them. Facebook is already one of the leading topics of dissent in the marriage counselor’s office. The dating app could (I submit that it definitely will) increase the frequency of marriage problems caused by social media.