Nowadays, there are many different platforms and apps to date someone. But what happens if you ask someone to date via LinkedIn?

Yes, the social media "professional" faces a new phenomenon. The platform used by hundreds of millions of people is being used as a matchmaker.

Many LinkedIn users utilize the feature of adding friends or networks to find a partner. From here, users can directly send private messages.

Business Insider said, this dating-motivated private messaging incident happened in early 2023. Samuela John, a LinkedIn user, said she never used the app for dating. Instead, she received unprofessional messages from company officials.

It was more than just a job application that John received. More than that, she felt there were other motives related to her personal relationship matters.

"Social media is just one big dating app. Any kind of social media where you can see people's photos can turn into a dating app. And LinkedIn is even better because it doesn't just show people's fake lives," John said, quoted by Business Insider.

Meanwhile, with more than 1 billion users, it's hard to estimate how many users use LinkedIn to find matches. However, this phenomenon is increasingly being recognized by the public.

"Many posts and articles show that many LinkedIn users have been using the site for relationships for a long time. And as LinkedIn use surges in the remote work era, using the platform to find dates is becoming increasingly popular," Business Insider reports.

Different dating platforms and apps like Tinder and Bumble will increasingly compete with LinkedIn. Now, LinkedIn is widely used to find matches.

Interestingly, many users end up not randomly choosing someone. LinkedIn users, before going on a date, will combine job compatibility. If they match, then these users can go on a date together.

"LinkedIn's design helps maintain its professional focus, but any platform with direct messaging options is likely to be used for sex and dating," says Dustin Kidd, a sociology professor at Temple University who studies social media and pop culture.

Using LinkedIn as a dating app is happening in the United States. Many people in the country, primarily since the COVID-19 pandemic, have often conducted work activities online.

From here, the use of LinkedIn is increasingly massive, including finding a partner.

In addition, not a few people are also getting bored with the existence of dating apps that are considered mediocre. Moreover, nowadays, it is very difficult to distinguish someone who displays their profile as real or fake, including in terms of work.

Unlike other dating apps, LinkedIn is considered to have its own charm. The app is even regarded as capable of showing someone with a specific job.

The app is even considered capable of filtering and tracking ideal matches.

For example, if you want to find someone with a job as a doctor, lawyer, or teacher, you can easily track them down.