It is no secret that many single people despise online dating apps. So why not try the less conventional way? LinkedIn.
It could seem at first like a great way to find love. But is it?
For the past few years, we have been pushed to work more remotely than on site. Some of us have fewer opportunities to meet new people. We got used to being home. We got used to working alone. The new norm is online meetings from our living room or a coffee shop instead of the office. This has a significant impact on our socialising, on our chance of meeting new people, and on our chance of meeting a potential partner.
Humans were born to live in groups; we need connections with other humans. If you look at the Stone Age, when people lived in caves, they all lived in groups. Those who were alone barely survived. And society today is no different. Those who are alone nowadays may not struggle to survive physically (as in the Stone Age), but they struggle to survive mentally and emotionally. We are programmed to have physical, emotional or mental connections with others.
But back to our 21st century. Is it a good idea to use LinkedIn as a dating site?
“LinkedIn is a professional networking platform, not a dating site.” Many would say so, and they are right.
Women especially find it invasive to be contacted on LinkedIn in a romantic way. Well, there is no sticker on their profile picture that says “open to date”, and yet men do try their luck. But women are no different! There are many videos and articles on the internet that offer tutorials on finding a partner through LinkedIn. Some might say it’s crazy and some might say “good for her”.
The main reason is that people are tired of online dating apps. Catfishing, old pictures, lame profiles, profiles full of lies. It is hard to trust people these days. On LinkedIn, we all put ourselves out there as professionals, with neat-looking pictures, endorsements of our skills and support from our fellow professionals. And this is what makes it feel safe: the person is the real deal.
In my opinion, LinkedIn should remain a professional networking platform. But if you decide to use it in your romantic favour, do it in a more subtle way. Don’t flirt in the DMs. Find a way to use LinkedIn for networking and meet people in the good old-fashioned way: organically. At the end of the day, that’s how we all want our love story to start: to say how our eyes met, how their smile was enchanting and how beautifully awkward our first encounter was.
If you would rather meet people who are open to love, and already vetted, that is what a matchmaker is for.
Matchmaker and dating coach in Dubai, founder of Find Your Swan.
Private matchmaking in Dubai: hand-picked introductions, made by Mia, to people who share your values.
