You may have heard of or already used Bumble, the women-first dating app, but now Bumble users in the United States have the option to make their experience even more personal by adding their “Love Language” to their profile. In 2014, after parting ways with Tinder, Bumble founder and chief executive officer Whitney Wolfe Herd started the app with the differentiator that in heterosexual matches women must initiate contact. She had the idea to flip the traditional male/female romantic discourse dynamic and to turn the dating app experience into a Sadie Hawkins sort of interaction.
Since its inception, users have sent more than 15 billion messages through Bumble and facilitated more than a billion women-led first moves. There are three different forms of Bumble – Bumble Bizz, Bumble BFF and Bumble Date. As their names suggest, Bumble Bizz is for professional networking; Bumble BFF is for users looking for new friends; and Bumble Date is dating-focused. In all of these iterations, when women are part of the connection, they make the first move on the platform. It was intentionally built with kindness, respect and equality in mind. There is zero tolerance for any hate, aggression or bullying.
The 5 Love Languages
For nearly 30 years, people have been enamored with the book “The 5 Love Languages: How to Express Heartfelt Commitment to Your Mate” by marriage counselor Dr. Gary Chapman. With this book, he sought to help couples better understand their differences and disagreements by outlining the ways that many people express and experience love. Over the past few decades, people have connected with this work and its ideas which are conveyed with clarity and humor, making its suggestions for better communication and connection doable. Several real-life stories are woven throughout the book to help users see the concepts in action. The 5 Love Languages include –
- Words of affirmation – In this way of expression, words of affirmation are how this person feels and shows love. Praise and compliments make the person with this Love Language feel confident and fulfilled, whereas negative comments can sting for longer.
- Quality time – For those with this preference, receiving and giving quality time to their partner is paramount above all else. Making the person with this Love Language the center of your attention for a period of time can make their world light up and give you both the gift of connection sans screen-distractions.
- Receiving gifts – This Love Language may sound a bit materialistic, but receiving gifts is something that most people appreciate and enjoy. So, for the person with this persuasion, taking some extra time to give a thoughtful, meaningful gift (no matter how big or small) can be very impactful.
- Acts of service – These people would love nothing more than their partner doing something for them that is special or makes them feel appreciated – even acts like picking up an errand or cooking a meal can mean so much. One partner does something to help the other because they know the act will make their partner happy.
- Physical touch – These partners respond most strongly to the touch of someone they love. This doesn’t have to mean full-blown foreplay, but it can be as simple as holding your partner’s hand or touching their arm or shoulder. This helps them feel close and connected.
Bumble’s Love Language badges
Within all three types of Bumble platforms, users can distinguish their likes, dislikes and other aspects of their identity through badges that appear on their profiles. Within Bumble Date – where users make romantic connections – badges can include things like activity level, spiritual or religious preferences, political persuasions, zodiac signs and now, also your Love Language. Since the badges and filters were introduced in 2018, Bumble has received a flood of positive feedback. Having certain badges can even increase a user’s probabilities of getting a match on the app.
From now until March 2021, US Bumble users can add their Love Language to their profile as a badge. The team at Bumble hopes that adding this extra tidbit of information about users will help them build connections and relationships. According to their recent surveys, Bumble found that 83% of respondents reported they were planning to use dating apps as much as they currently do or even more between now and Valentine’s Day. Regarding their partnership with “The 5 Love Languages,” a Bumble rep stated: “We hope that our community can discover their Love Language to make stronger connections and have more meaningful conversations as they’re navigating what dating looks like this holiday season and beyond.”
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