Is LinkedIn playing Cupid?

LinkedIn, the world’s leading professional networking site, has rolled out a new dating feature to help like-minded individuals find love.

Dubbed “LinkedIn Love”, this dynamic new feature is designed to help users find meaningful personal relationships within the professional sphere. By blurring the line between networking and dating, LinkedIn will help people find career success and romantic bliss by building connections on shared interests, values and goals.

Users will be able to set their intention on their profile as #OpenToDM if they are interested in being courted by other professionals.

Why LinkedIn?

LinkedIn has been used by some people as a dating app for a long time, used by matchmaking services and individuals to find unexpected romance. Its appeal lies in the way it blends professional and personal goals, narrowing down industries, social groups and interest areas that may provoke interest.

According to a 2023 Pew survey, many people have also become disillusioned with modern dating apps and their disappointment in matches. Online, it’s not easy to know the human being behind an aesthetically appealing profile, and disappointments range from innocent deceptions like ultra-flattering photos to fudged facts about their hobbies to catfishing, where people fabricate their entire profile. This dating-app fatigue has driven people to seek alternate avenues to find love – and LinkedIn is the top choice. It offers users a glimpse into the world of reality and allows people to have much more realistic expectations when it comes to potential matches.

What do people think?

LinkedIn’s attempt to play Cupid has been met with an explosive mix of reactions across social media. Some have praised their decision as ingenious and expressed the belief that it may be exactly what people need in the modern age. “Finding people who are at your level in your career might be a better value proposition than finding people out of looks and appearances,” one user observed.

However, some have expressed frustration and worry that LinkedIn’s latest move may affect their professional prospects, making it difficult to navigate through the flood of matchmaking to find a career. Many have also emphasized that the emergence of “LinkedIn Love” is unnecessary given the variety of dating apps that already exist in the market. Moreover, LinkedIn’s news provoked renewed discussions on the importance of meeting people naturally and finding love offline rather than through the internet.