Imagine walking into a bar on a Friday night. Instead of the usual mix of familiar faces, random older individuals and that other weird group in the corner, there is only an amalgamation of the most beautiful, most successful single individuals from your area. The only thing better about being in the room is knowing you’ve made it.
This is the ideology behind The League, a hyper-exclusive dating app that premiered in Boston today, according to a Boston Globe article. Described by many as “elitist,” the app’s CEO denies criticism, instead highlighting things that singles often look for in a relationship.
“I think it’s one of those things where if you actually think about how you [find a partner], you’ll realize that a lot of it stems from university and where you work,” founder Amanda Bradford said in the Globe article. “Both of those are curated environments that include applications.”
The founder said she was “tentative about saying the site was only for college grads and the most successful singles, but she says she embraces the mission” in the Globe article.
In the past 10 years, the traditional dating scene, if there ever was one, has been turned on its head. Gone are the days of “May I buy you a drink?” and here to stay are the days of, “Did you meet him on Tinder?” Dating apps have replaced face-to-face social interactions, but this is old news. With apps like The League and Raya have upped the dating app game by introducing exclusivity in to the mix.
It is well known that anyone can sign up for Tinder and Bumble. In some ways, this is what makes them great, but in others, this is their downfall. Swiping left time and time again can be tiresome, but the options are plentiful.
The League removes the guessing game from the dating game, if you will. Formulaic to begin with through its admission process, The League stratifies an already stratified dating scene and removes the element of chance. Narrowing the playing field so exponentially quit literally narrows your chances of meeting your match.
The League is undeniably elitist, as seen by its “Boston League Founding Class.” According to the company’s blog, the top three universities it sources from are Harvard, Boston College and MIT. The top three titles are consultant, CEO/founder and physician. At first glance, this looks like the kids that you hated in your high school classes, overachieving while simultaneously bullying you for having a coffee stain on your sweatshirt.
According to the Globe article, Buzzfeed’s Brett S. Vergara felt similarly. “[E]very guy around me looked like the kind of dude that picked on me for not being so great at kickball in middle school,” Vergara wrote after attending a party hosted by The League last year.
The “holier than thou” facade is further by its bourgeois launch event, which was hosted at The Liberty hotel in Beacon Hill last week. The Globe article described attendees posing with signs emblazoned with slogans like “Hands That Touch Tinder Shall Not Touch Ours.” Perpetuating the dating app as a high-end commodity sends the message that relationships are an item that can be purchased.
The League poses a unique threat to college students in particular, where the ultimate goal is to branch out and meet people who wouldn’t be met otherwise. By narrowing that pool, you are limiting not only your dating options but your social pool. It also instills a superior attitude that is an incredibly undesirable character trait.
The League prides itself on being that metaphorical club that you have no chance of getting into. Yet, the idea of exclusivity unnecessarily divides activities that should unify. Dating isn’t just about finding a life-long partner, it’s about meeting and mingling with new and unique groups. The League eliminates that chance, along with the majority of all Boston residents.
