The League: A Dating App For People Who Hate Dating Apps

The new dating app has launched.

That sense of foreboding, laced with forced optimism, that we all feel before a Tinder date could soon be a thing of the past, if new dating app The League has anything to do with it.

How does it work?

Let’s face it – there’s only so many topless men having ‘mad banter’ in Ibiza you can left-swipe before the search begins to feel a bit futile. That’s where The League comes in – by employing sophisticated filtering tools so you only see people that meet your criteria, its aim is to bring some class to digital dating.

Its main sell is that you can input the criteria you want in a partner, including their education and employment credentials, and The League will filter the wheat from the chaff, so to speak. By scouting the social profiles of everyone who signs up, it also hopes to weed out catfishes. Oh, and you can hide your profile from friends and colleagues, so nobody need know of your continuing battle with singledom.

What do the founders say?

Creator Amanda Bradford, who works in software development in San Francisco, doesn’t hide her disdain for online dating – the app proclaims to be made ‘for people who hate dating apps, by people who hate dating apps’.

Speaking to Forbes magazine, Bradford, who has previously worked for Google, explains that dating as a high-flyer can have its risks. 'I know people who are like, "every time I change my LinkedIn, I get a Business Insider article written",' she says, explaining that if the face of a CEO appeared on Tinder, that would 'definitely get [written about].' Now, that’s a problem that, for most of us, is about as likely as growing an extra head, but could The League be onto something?

Pros

1. Privacy. You can choose who sees your profile. The League will connect to your Facebook and LinkedIn contacts and filter them out, so you can be sure that you won’t get an awkward ‘like’ from someone you have to do business with. 2. Preferences. You can choose what you’re looking for in a partner, including their career and academic credentials. If they don’t meet your standards, they won’t see your profile.

3. Screening. The League promises to screen the social profiles of all its users to weed out ‘fakes’.

Cons

It's not without its faults, though.

1. Exclusive. Even those who have signed up to be among the first to use the app may not be accepted onto the initial rollout. If you don’t look like you'll appeal to its pool of discerning singletons, then it’s back off to Tinder you go. Ouch. 2. Strict criteria. The League is placing a lot of emphasis on its users’ levels of education (the phrase 'Harvard hottie' has been bandied around), it could mean the selection of potential partners going to be a bit limited. 3. Snobby. It's designed for the 'super-busy and super-picky'. Another way of saying 'super-shallow?' Perhaps.

What do you think?