Indian Tinder users match most in USA, UK, Australia
NEW DELHI: Newly equipped with the option of matching with potential dates beyond geographical boundaries, the users of Tinder are making international connections during the lockdown. The global dating app features connections across the globe with the top countries being the United States of America, United Kingdom, The Netherlands and Australia.
Called Tinder Passport, available for free while the world stays at home, the feature allows users to navigate between their current location and new destinations. Members can search by city or drop a pin on the map and can begin liking, matching, and chatting with users in a destination of their choice.
"By looking at data from March to April, we learned which cities and countries members are virtually traveling to, and which cities are frequently interacting with each other. The majority of Tinder members are using the feature to change location within the country, with Delhi-Mumbai and Mumbai-Delhi as the top two cities Passporting to each other," Tinder said.
Tinder's resident psychologist Sonali Gupta thinks it is very telling that majority location change is between members within India.
"One of the reasons could be that while there is a global pandemic world over, what's different is how countries are dealing with it.
When people are reaching out to other people in Indian cities, they could possibly feel that their context and personal reality would be better understood by other Indians.
This could be a reflection of realistic expectations - as people see that international travel is unlikely and they stand a greater chance of meeting someone who is based within the country."