- Tinder is testing out a new Height filter globally.
- The feature lets you set a custom height preference, which will affect your recommendations on the app.
- It is exclusively available for Tinder Gold and Premium subscribers and targeted towards their female audience.
It is an unsaid truth that Tinder is all about superficial beauty standards, where you browse strangers and decide to hook up with them just based on their looks. But I guess the platform is doubling down on these factors by introducing a new height filter on Tinder.
Yes, this is not Tinder playing another April Fool’s joke on us like the last time. The platform is testing a new Height filter, available for its Tinder Gold and Premium subscribers. The feature, as you can guess, lets you set a height preference for your suggestions. It was first spotted by a Reddit user, and later a Tinder spokesperson confirmed its existence to TechCrunch.
According to Tinder, the filter is intended to influence your recommendations only. It won’t block profiles that don’t fit your preferences from appearing. They also explained that the feature is currently rolling out as part of a global test for paid users.
Tinder’s Vice President of Communication, Phil Price Fry, told TechCrunch, “This is part of a broader effort to help people connect more intentionally on Tinder”. He further clarified, “Not every test becomes a permanent feature, but every test helps us learn how we can deliver smarter, more relevant experiences and push the category forward”.
Are We Measuring Hearts, or Just Insecurities?
Now, it goes without saying that the company is trying to cater to its female audience since they find taller men more attractive. Probably in a desperate attempt to drive more female users to their Premium tier. Given Tinder’s parent company, Match, has suffered a 5% fall in paid users in its latest earnings call.
But I don’t have to be the one to tell you everything wrong with a feature like this. It will only encourage treating users on the app more like a product that you browse through, reinforce societal biases towards short men, foster unrealistic beauty standards, and, of course, increase insecurities about one’s own body. Moreover, if this feature takes off, it wouldn’t be long before we see other popular dating apps start adopting it.
I can also see men faking their height just to get past the filter and find more matches. So what’s the net positive? And who is it for? Only time will tell as this feature rolls out to more users, but it is without a doubt one of the most controversial additions I have seen in a while. Let us know what your thoughts are on this in the comments below.
