Have you ever seen a guy come up on your Tinder or OKCupid! account and then run into them in real life (awwwkward!)? The new Siren dating app is giving women more control of their profiles, to address this exact blunder.
If you're wondering how it works, women have the capability of determining who their profile is visible to, while the men using the app don't have the same option. They also encourage women to make the first move (something that is traditionally done by men), saying that by doing this, men receive a more "valid" signal. The founders of the site think that women have more at stake with their reputation, especially when it comes to those who are working professionals.
Co-founder and SEO of Siren Susie Lee explains, "If you are a female lawyer and your client sees you on this online space, suddenly you are faced with an awkward situation of somebody knowing something about you that's not really relevant to your professional dynamic and it still compromises the woman's identity, because she can't be easily a sexual person and a professional person," she tells PRI. So because women face more stigma when it comes to sexuality, this app is essentially a way to work around that and create equality (or something closer to it).
An additional factor to consider is online harassment, as young women are more likely than men to be stalked and sexually harassed on the internet. This app could potentially lessen the prevalence, since it's no longer an equal playing field in terms of visibility. So maybe instead of viewing it as unfair to men, we can look at it as negating the sexist elements of being a woman online.
Siren is currently available for Iphone users in the Portland and Seattle areas, so if you can put a check mark next to both of those qualifications, consider trying it for yourself!
Images: Getty (2)
