Looking for love on LinkedIn? Data points to new trend
Singles more likely to score date through networking platforms than dating apps
Single adults in the U.S. are scoring more dates on networking platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook than through dedicated dating apps, recent data shows.
A survey conducted by DatingNews.com this year found that more than half of the 20- to 40-year-old respondents – 52% – reported meeting people for dating on networking and other social media sites, making it the most popular method of finding a potential match in 2024.
Networking apps like LinkedIn are now the most popular way single adults in the U.S. find dates, according to a survey from DatingNews.com. (Jonathan Raa / NurPhoto / File / Getty Images)
Among 35- to 40-year-olds, the percentage was even higher, with 61% saying they had landed a date using a networking platform like LinkedIn, which is owned by Microsoft and used primarily as a platform for professionals to expand their contacts or find work.
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Dr. Wendy Walsh of DatingNews.com says it makes sense that LinkedIn "has exploded as an online mating marketplace."
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She pointed to research from Gitnux.org indicating 22% of married couples in America met through work, and 52% of employees have been involved in a workplace romance.
Data shows workplace romances are common. A survey commissioned by Forbes Advisor last year found 60% of U.S. adults reported having a workplace romance at some point. (iStock)
On top of that, a survey from the Society for Human Resource Management found that 25% of U.S. workers reported that they are open to having a workplace romance.
Another survey commissioned by Forbes Advisor last year found that more than 60% of adults have had a workplace romance. Of those, 43% married someone they worked with.
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Walsh said there are clear benefits to looking for love on LinkedIn because it affords people the opportunity to vet potential partners using real-world common interests like a specific industry, charities or college.
There are numerous benefits to utilizing LinkedIn to search for a potential date, according to DatingNews.com's Dr. Wendy Walsh. (iStock)
She also noted that LinkedIn's setup allows people to vet prospective dates because their professional network is "right before your eyes," and as an added bonus, there are no human resources policies to worry about like there are in the workplace.
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"Since the advent of the #Metoo movement, workplace romances have become a nightmare for human resource departments, and many companies have enacted ‘love contracts’ or romance prohibitions in their employment contracts," Walsh said. "So far, LinkedIn doesn’t have any HR hall monitor to get nosy about your noodling."
LinkedIn does, however, have rules in place for engagement on its platform.
"LinkedIn is a professional community and we encourage our members to engage in meaningful, authentic conversations," the company told FOX Business in a statement. "This includes light-hearted, respectful conversations, as long as they do not violate our community policies."
"Unwanted romantic advances and harassment of any form is a violation of our rules, and our policies include detailed examples that show what kind of content does not belong on LinkedIn," the statement continued. "Members can report any instances of harassment on LinkedIn and signal to us that such behavior is unwanted, allowing us to take action."