Stories about this have, of course, been circulating for much longer. And it’s not surprising that a site where you lay out your entire life, including your best possible photo, isn’t just used by users to meet each other – let’s say, professionally. That aspect was pretty much there right from the beginning. Lately, you have heard it more and more often: LinkedIn is increasingly becoming a dating site rather than a networking site.
More than half of Americans are reported to have landed a date through LinkedIn.
According to recent research from DatingNews.com, more than half (!) of American men and women aged between 20 and 40 have secured a date through LinkedIn. “This way, you can better and quickly gauge how smart or serious someone is about life,” one of the many TikTok videos discussing this points out. “You also get to see how strong their CV is.” Young women increasingly share videos of connection requests and messages from men they receive through the app, asking to meet up. Tinder, eat your heart out – here comes LinkedIn!
@corporate.sween What do y’all think about this? #dating #datingadvice #linkedin #nyc #newyork #newyorkcity #corporate #work #coworkers ♬ original sound – corporate sween
Not always innocent
Some men are pretty direct in their approach. According to a 2023 study by Passport Photo Online, 91% of American female LinkedIn users have received at least one romantic or sexually suggestive message, and nearly a quarter reported receiving such messages at least every other day. It’s worth noting that most considered these messages unwanted. Interestingly, official dating agencies (like the exclusive Maar Dating Club NYC) also actively use the site to find suitable candidates for their clients.
linkedin will be a dating app by 2027 pic.twitter.com/QZqk1ouozv
— cold 🥑 (@coldhealing) May 3, 2024
LinkedIn itself is far from supportive of this trend. “LinkedIn is a professional platform. We want our members to engage in meaningful and authentic conversations,” a spokesperson recently told Newsweek. “Romantic advances and harassment in any form violate our policies, and our guidelines provide detailed examples of what type of content is inappropriate on LinkedIn. Members can report any harassment on LinkedIn and inform us that such behaviour is unwanted so we can take action.”
@abroadwithsanjana Maybe TikTok will help me with a job search as LinkedIn is a dating app now 😂 #linkedin #jobsearch #funny #datingapps #menbelike #berlinlife #fypシ #xcyzba ♬ original sound – Sanjana | Content Creator
Also Strava, Duolingo and Wordfeud
LinkedIn isn’t the only platform that is unexpectedly used frequently for dating purposes. The sports apps Strava, Duolingo, and Wordfeud are also considered suitable by many men to help them find a date. However, it doesn’t seem to happen as frequently on these platforms as it does on LinkedIn. This is why many women seem to be turning away from the network altogether or posting less, with or without moving images.
I think we might have just hit peak LinkedIn 😶 pic.twitter.com/plpRwaPHgB
— 𝕥𝕠𝕜𝕪𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕥𝕥 (@tokyo_matty) June 20, 2024
The problem for LinkedIn, of course, is that there’s little they can effectively do about it. The platform claims to have implemented features to help prevent harassment before a member sees such a message. However, most users can easily circumvent these measures. The boundary between professional networking and non-professional dating is indeed challenging to enforce. Therefore, the trend is likely to continue for some time. “I don’t think LinkedIn necessarily is a good place for dating; I just think it’s inevitable,” said comedian Ben Sweeny, who recently extensively discussed the trend on TikTok.
New: LinkedIn Love
Even so, it is inevitable that LinkedIn recently appears to have responded with a feature called ‘LinkedIn Love’. Seriously or not, more and more international media are picking up the story that the platform has introduced a feature where you need to put #OpenToDM on your profile if you’re interested in other professionals trying to court you.
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It’s like swiping right, but with a cover letter,” one LinkedIn user pointed out. Interestingly, the platform itself has not commented on it (which underscores another threat to LinkedIn: the danger of misinformation).