Miami, USA — Women looking for a connection no longer have to wait for someone else to show interest first, at least in virtual space. “It was something liberating, my heart beat out of my chest when I wrote that Hello,” Laura Artime confessed about her first conversation with a “match” on Bumble, the dating platform where users are the only ones who can start an interaction . Artime had just arrived in Mexico from his native Brazil in 2022, and “I wanted to start over. I had heard about Bumble and it seemed like a good idea to me, because Tinder and the other apps didn’t give me a good feeling,” he told the . “It was a way to practice my Spanish and meet new people. I haven’t found my better half yet, but I’m not losing hope,” he jokes, assuring that “if it hadn’t been for the fact that I felt in control, maybe I wouldn’t have tried it. “. Taking the first step Described by its founder, Whitney Wolfe, as a “feminist dating app”, Bumble was founded in 2014 and since then has accumulated more than 40 million users, mainly in the United States, something that the company has been determined to achieve. change. What is different about this new proposal, in addition to only allowing women to initiate contact with users of the opposite sex, is the security features, which allow you to report unsolicited photos and harassment. The app also has sections for finding friends and doing work networking. “We seek to attract women through the sense of empowerment, in all the senses that make up life, which is why we highlight different themes that promote taking the ‘first step’, and why it is important for them to take charge of their lives “, explained to VOA the senior manager of the Communications team for the northern region of Latin America, Marcela Millán. The application first arrived in Mexico, later expanding to Brazil, and more recently to Chile, Argentina and Colombia, where it arrived last year. “Bumble is an app made by women and for women, and its arrival in Latin America is part of the brand’s expansion plan. Therefore, we want all women in the region to find what they are looking for, in a space where relationships are equitable and healthy relationships based on kindness, respect and equity, where the woman is in control of her interactions,” explained Millán. According to Millán, this is “the only dating app that empowers women by putting them in control of their interactions. Women take the first step by opening up the conversation, setting the tone for kind and respectful connections. This means that women have the full control of who they interact with, and spam messages or advances are not tolerated.” In Latin America? Being the first to say ‘Hello’ or propose a date still “causes resistance among women in Latin America,” a region rooted in patriarchal traditions, she opined for her part, Graciela Inclán, a Cuban activist and writer living in Colombia. “We have been raised believing that men are the providers, the ones who have to guide us and we the ones who have to wait for them to choose us. Luckily there are thousands of young women who are challenging those paradigms,” insisted Inclán, a user of various apps of dating, including Hinge, “serious than Tinder” and “of course Bumble.” Who knows? Maybe my great love is there waiting for me to swipe to the right” The young woman acknowledges that she is sometimes overwhelmed because there are “so many apps that sometimes it seems to me that this market is oversaturated”, but she warns that “in this post-pandemic world and starting a relationship virtually is the most natural thing in the world.” “And saying that you met your boyfriend or husband in an app is not something you have to hide. Of course, we have to explain to our mothers or grandmothers in more detail how that world works, but I take it upon myself to tell everyone who wants to hear me that not everything is as they paint it,” warned the writer in reference to the “bad reputation ” of the most used platforms for casual dating, which “in their opinion there is nothing wrong with either, as long as everything is agreed upon.” From Bumble, they warn that they want to “promote taking the first step in Latin American culture” as a way of empowering in other aspects as well.”We seek to empower women not only in their relationships, but in all aspects of their lives,” emphasized the senior Communications manager.The “training” was post-pandemic According to Millán, the relaxation of restrictions by COVID-19 made 2022 a “formative year with the return of travel, the drastic increase in our social lives and commitments, and a series of turbulent global events, leaving some out of control and exhausted yes”. “In response to this, we’ve seen people on Bumble prioritize boundaries. Leading is great if you feel like it’s right, but will you be wise in the way you’re doing it, how far are you putting yourself?” To emotional limits, such as being honest about what they want or recognizing signs of trust or warning. All these changes are modifying the way they think, what they seek and are trying to better balance their relationships, work and life,” he said. For this 2023, the app team has perceived “that singles are challenging the status quo and taking control over what a healthy relationship means to them, especially for women: for example, in Colombia, there were over 500 million first moves on Bumble from January 2022 to November of the same year. More than 10,000 million messages were exchanged in 2022. This was almost 20% more than in 2021,” revealed Millán. Yes, but… However, experts such as psychologist Enid Vega recommend caution when entering the world of dating apps, Vega drew attention to the amount of information that is revealed online and how people feel “safe in front of the screen”, which creates a kind of anonymity and from where they dare to say things and do things they wouldn’t do if they had the person in front of them. “How prudent is it to take the initiative? Taking initiative is great if you feel it’s right, but will you be wise in the way you’re doing it, how far are you exposing yourself? Those are the questions that are in the subconscious and we don’t want to see why we are getting excited, or we are giving them open doors to be free as we want to do, “says the specialist. The characteristics to prevent harassment and denounce people during an interaction Unwanted on Bumble and other applications are there to help, but in the end, “every user has to protect himself,” agrees Inclán, who “despite everything, he prefers to take risks.” “Who knows? Maybe my great love is there waiting for me to swipe right,” the young woman smiled.
[Con la colaboración de Tomás Guevara, corresponsal de la VOA en Washington]
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