When Lucille McCart joined Bumble in 2019, she had no idea the pandemic would upend the online dating scene, as dating apps exploded in popularity. Three years on, the communications director for the Asia-Pacific region shares interesting insights about men, women, dating, and more.
More people in Singapore are willing to date outside their type.
With the open-casting trend, we are seeing people value emotional maturity over physical attractiveness, which shows that we’re less focused on superficial qualities like looks and more concerned with who we are compatible with emotionally.
Our most recent survey found that 67 percent of the people on Bumble in Singapore value emotional maturity over physical requirements. The love-life balance trend indicates that people also want work-life balance not only for themselves, but for their partners as well. It is really interesting to see how we are prioritising rest and leisure time over career status symbols.
Three out of five Singaporeans said they intentionally create more time for breaks and rest. Work-life balance has become a priority for 49 percent of people globally, and job titles are no longer a status symbol. According to the survey, 54 percent in Singapore feel the same way.
A study we commissioned last year found that men around the world are still pressured to make the big moves in forming and progressing romantic relationships.
Bumble’s Lucille McCart on how some things never change in dating
In South-east Asia, religion plays a significant role in dating.
Audiences in South-east Asia differ from our more westernised markets, such as Australia and New Zealand, in several ways. Asian markets, like Singapore and the Philippines, adopt the religion badge at a higher rate, showing that it is a more important factor when assessing their compatibility with potential matches.
We are seeing more people setting boundaries and protecting their energy. With the return of the office culture and hectic social calendars, we’ve all been pushed to prioritise our limits. As a result, 52 percent of the global Bumble community have implemented new boundaries in the past year. Our South-east Asia community shares similar sentiments. Over the past year, 46 percent of Singaporeans have established more boundaries.
Those surveyed in Singapore are now more thoughtful and intentional about how they put themselves out there (75 percent), clearer about their emotional needs and boundaries (68 percent), and are less likely to over-commit themselves socially (60 percent).
There is still pressure on men to make the first move.
Our CEO Whitney Wolfe Herd founded Bumble in 2014 to solve a problem she saw. There were many smart, successful women who were still waiting for men to ask them out, to ask for their number, or to start a conversation on a dating app. Although women have made great strides in the workplace and corridors of power, the gender dynamics of dating and romance remain outdated. Her idea was to flip all that on its head and create a platform where women made the first move, with the hypothesis being that it would lead to kinder and more respectful conversations and relationships.
Our mission and desire to end misogyny around the world set us apart. We also want to break the stigma that is associated with finding a romantic partner online in some Asian cultures.
However, in terms of changing gender roles, we have a long way to go. A study we commissioned last year found that men around the world are still pressured to make the big moves in forming and progressing romantic relationships. In Singapore, 87 percent of survey respondents believe men should take the lead, while only 7 percent feel women should assume that responsibility.
Slowly, things are changing and Bumble is here to advocate for further progress.
