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Bumble & the trap of modern dating; plus, living ethically in COVID's aftermath

Bumble pickleball ad. COVID masks. Charley Gallay/Getty Images; Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images hide caption

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Charley Gallay/Getty Images; Miguel Medina/AFP/Getty Images

It's Been a Minute

Bumble & the trap of modern dating; plus, living ethically in COVID's aftermath

This week, the dating app Bumble could not stay out of the news. First, the company launched an anti-celibacy advertising campaign mocking abstinence and suggesting women shouldn't give up on dating apps. Then, at a tech summit, Bumble's founder suggested artificial intelligence might be the future of dating. Both efforts were met with backlash, and during a time when everyone seems irritated with dating - where can people turn? Shani Silver, author of the Cheaper Than Therapy substack, and KCRW's Myisha Battle, dating coach and host of How's Your Sex Life? join the show to make sense of the mess.

Bumble & the trap of modern dating; plus, living ethically in COVID's aftermath

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From left: Zendaya, Barron Trump, Bambie Thug.

From left: Zendaya, Barron Trump, Bambie Thug. Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images; Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images; Jessica Gow/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

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Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images; Giorgio Viera/AFP via Getty Images; Jessica Gow/TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Images

The NPR news quiz

Why is a teen Trump in the news? Find out in the quiz

This week began with the Met Gala, which brought much-needed pageantry to the everyday lives of mortals. There was also real estate, dating apps, resignations and more.

Women no longer have to make the first move on Bumble, the dating app that was launched in 2014 with the goal of putting more power in the hands of women.

Women no longer have to make the first move on Bumble, the dating app that was launched in 2014 with the goal of putting more power in the hands of women. Nikos Pekiaridis/Getty Images hide caption

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Nikos Pekiaridis/Getty Images

Business

Women no longer have to make the first move on Bumble. Will it make the app better?

Bumble, known for allowing women to message men first, unveiled new features that allow men to make the first move. Will the change breathe new life into online dating, and the company's stock?

Women no longer have to make the first move on Bumble. Will it make the app better?

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The Tinder-Bumble Feud: Dating Apps Fight Over Who Owns The Swipe

In dueling lawsuits, Match, which owns Tinder, alleges that Bumble infringed on Tinder's intellectual property — while Bumble says that argument is bogus. Cameron Pollack/NPR hide caption

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Cameron Pollack/NPR

Business

The Tinder-Bumble Feud: Dating Apps Fight Over Who Owns The Swipe

The companies are battling over whether Bumble swiped Tinder's features. Their dispute sheds new light on how the patent system is grappling with invention on the Internet.

The Tinder-Bumble Feud: Dating Apps Fight Over Who Owns The Swipe

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