It’s no secret that political tensions in America are at an all-time high these days, and with the election fast approaching, those sharp political divisions seem to be present in just about every aspect of our lives, including our love lives.
While dating apps tend to see an increase in activity during an election year — according to industry pro Adam Cohen Aslatei, who tells InsideHook his dating app S’More has seen a 20-percent increase in user activity as November approaches — a recent Pew Research survey reveals many single Americans looking for love this election year may be less inclined than ever to consider swiping right on someone from the opposing political party.
According to the survey, 43 percent of Democrats said they’d be unlikely to consider dating a Republican, while 24 percent of Republicans said they’d pass on a relationship with a Dem.
Those numbers shot up on both ends of the political spectrum when it came to voting history — specifically, who prospective daters voted for in 2016. About seven-in-ten left-leaning voters said they probably or definitely wouldn’t consider dating someone who voted for Donald Trump, while 47 percent of Trumpers said the same about those who voted for Hilary Clinton.
None of this is exactly surprising given the “partisan antipathy seen in the overall public,” as the Pew report put it. However, as the political divide continues to shrink the dating pool, a new catfishing trend seems to be on the rise among Trumpers and other right-wing daters who aren’t afraid to sell out their political beliefs for a shot at a hookup. Dubbed “wokefishing” by Serena Smith for Vice, the sneaky new trend involves daters with less-than-progressive views pretending to align with more left-leaning beliefs in an attempt to score more matches on dating apps.
It just goes to show you, no matter how sharp the political divide in our country, people will always be willing to lie on the internet.
Related:
“Wokefishing” Is the New Dating App Trend to Beware
The Swipe Right Generation Turns 40
Is it Wrong to Filter on Dating Apps?
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