Dating apps are recognizing the importance of politics in relationships and have introduced features to help users match with potential partners based on their political beliefs. Tinder’s “Take Action Center” allows users to share their voting intentions and important issues through profile stickers. OkCupid has added new matching questions focusing on voter behavior to show users more compatible profiles. The shift in focus from policy-and candidate-specific questions to broader political discussions comes from changing user behavior in discussing politics.
Political polarization in dating reflects a larger issue of isolating oneself from opposing viewpoints, contributing to existing divides in society. Young daters were already prioritizing shared political values, using features like including “#BLM” in their profiles in 2020 to indicate support of the Black Lives Matter movement. Politics took on a new importance during the pandemic, with issues like vaccine mandates and racial justice becoming key points of discussion among potential partners.
The Right Stuff, an app for conservative daters co-founded by a former Donald Trump aide, aims to create an environment catering to shared political values. While the app features political prompts like “Favorite liberal lie,” the focus is not overtly political. The app has not rolled out specific election-related features but is considering ways to engage users in voting registration. Political alignment is increasingly becoming a nonnegotiable factor for many people dating, especially during a presidential election year.
Concern for political alignment in dating is not limited to liberal users, as conservative dating apps like The Right Stuff seek to connect like-minded individuals. These apps understand the importance of political concerns ahead of elections and aim to cater to users with similar values. The increasing visibility of political division in the US has made political alignment a central aspect of many people’s identities, influencing their dating preferences and the features they seek in dating apps.
Various dating apps are implementing features centered around politics, such as Tinder’s “Take Action Center” and OkCupid’s new matching questions, to help users connect with potential partners who share their political beliefs. The shift towards broader political discussions in dating app users reflects changing attitudes towards politics and the importance of shared values in relationships. Dating apps are responding to this trend by providing tools and features that help users navigate political considerations in their search for a partner.
