Facebook for Dating? Julie Spira Weighs in on HLN

This week, Facebook announced they’d like to play Cupid by starting an online dating service on the social media giant.

While the reaction in the media was as if an earthquake had hit, I wasn’t shocked at all.

As a social network with over 200 million singles listing their relationship status as “single,” it’s a potentially large market for Facebook, who could have been the world’s largest dating site if they wanted to be.

On HLN-TV, I discussed the news with Michaela Pereira, as well as the timing of their announcement.

Watch the Full Video Here

With the Facebook data breach, DATA has become a four-letter word. Singles and sites are concerned.

So will Facebook replace your favorite dating app or site? Absolutely not.

I believe this announcement gives credibility to the online dating and mobile dating apps industry. Plus it would be good for dating sites and Facebook to find a way to collaborate.

Dating sites have mastered the algorithms to give you the best dates possible.

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Sites such as Match, eHarmony, Plenty of Fish, OkCupid, and apps such as Tinder, Grindr, Happn, Hinge, and Bumble are doing a great job of connecting singles.

Keep in mind; most singles are joining more than one site, typically three.

There are the niche sites such as Farmer’s Only, Our Time, and JDate that focus on lifestyle, age, and religion, that many singles are finding love on.

This proposed service allows those who “opt-in” to agree to be a part of the new Facebook dating platform when it launches, giving you the opportunity to say yes, or no.

Facebook reports they are working on the essential issues of safety and security, which is vital for everyone looking for love online.

Five years ago, I created Facebook Love Stories, as a site to share stories of couples who found love through some of the features of Facebook. Finding a long-lost-love, or connecting through a friend-of-a-friend has been going on since the beginning of Facebook.

Dating on social media, or social dating is real. You can find love on Twitter and Instagram, and many have.

RELATED: Rules of Netiquette: Dating in a Facebook World

Would you use Facebook as a dating platform option?

Your comments are welcome.

Julie Spira is America’s Top Online Dating Expert and Digital Matchmaker. She’s the CEO of Cyber-Dating Expert, and was an early adopter of Internet dating, helping singles find love online for over 20 years.

FOLLOW @JulieSpira on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

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