Seemingly overnight, selfies have become an established staple in the days of most millennials. Being naturally out-going people, Filipinos rode on this craze very quickly. In fact, according to TIME magazine’s geographic selfies study, Makati and Pasig share the top spot of cities taking the most selfies out of 459 other cities. Makati, most especially, earned the title of “Selfie Capital of the World” having approximately 258 selfie takers per 100,000 people.
While in many cases, selfies are taken to commemorate the moment, more often than not, they are primarily as a way to express yourself. Selfies have become a form of self-expression because it highlights what features one has, which can help lead to self-acceptance and self-love. For some people, it is even seen as an art when one finds the right spot, angle or filter for lighting.
Though Filipinos are quite the selfie-lover, 39% of Filipino men and 41% of Filipino women rank having a personality they like as first when considering a romantic partner as reported in a study done by YouGov, an esteemed global public opinion and data company. The same research also stated that only 20% of Filipino men and 8% of Filipino women actually put utmost value on looks.
As selfies highlight what people deem to be their best physical assets, they play a huge role in forming relationships in the online dating scene to which 56% of Filipino millennials take part in. As such, these platforms place greater emphasis on looks as a basis for swiping to get to know more about someone.
However, it is no longer selfies on one’s profile that make a big impact but rather their bio, acting as a deciding factor on who to match and chat with. Amongst all these online dating platforms, OkCupid stands out by doing exactly that. With their company motto being “Match on what matters”, OkCupid takes great pride in upholding this.
“By having people answer multiple questionnaires, preferences and ultimately be themselves, OkCupid’s algorithm matches people on similarities rather than just mere looks. They select those that fit each individual from similar values and opinions to whether they are after a long-term relationship or friendship. We don’t look at the appearance or type of people you choose to match with but rather who compliments you best,” said Melissa Hobley, OkCupid’s chief marketing officer and spokeswoman.
As more and more find personality trumps appearance, OkCupid is changing the online dating game by paving the way with their personality-matching algorithm. What once used to be simply highlighting the best parts through selected and curated selfies to gain attention, has now changed to being and staying true to oneself in this new digital romantic world.
