Hidden meaning behind the pear emoji that THOUSANDS of people are putting in their Instagram bios

Thousands of users have added a pear emoji to the description on their profile
There’s a simple explanation as to why – it’s a subtle indication you’re single

If you use Instagram, it’s likely you’ve spotted a few strange changes to some of your friends’ bios over the last few weeks.

Thousands of users have added a pear emoji to the description on their profile – and there’s a simple explanation as to why.

The emoji is a new way for singletons to quietly indicate their relationship status.

The idea is the brainchild of Pear – a dating concept that describes itself as ‘the world’s biggest social experiment.’

Here’s everything you need to know, including what the emoji means and how you can use it in your profile.

If you use Instagram, it’s likely you’ve spotted a few strange changes to some of your friends’ bios over the last few weeks. Thousands of users have added a pear emoji to the description on their profile – and there’s a simple explanation as to why

10 ways to improve your dating profile

Include a photo with your dog
Don’t use ‘sexy’ or topless photos
Show off your Apple devices
Take a selfie at a flattering angle
Make yourself appear wider
Ask a stranger to choose your photos
Choose a subtle and creative chat-up line
Make your profile ‘humble and realistic’
Check your spelling and grammar
Don’t set your standards too high

The Pear social experiment launched last month in the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Australia, and asks singletons to purchase a set of simple green rings for £19.99.

‘Pear makes it easy to know who is single around you and open to meeting new people IRL,’ it explains on its website.

‘A small, subtle ring that makes a BIG statement.’

The ring can be worn on any finger and is a discreet indication to others that you’re single.

It includes access to free events for singletons, as well as ‘PearFest’, which Pear claims it the world’s biggest festival for singles.

With thousands of rings already sold, Pear has also suggested that users should add a pear emoji to their social media bios to indicate their relationship status.

Several people have taken to Twitter to discuss how the emoji has taken the dating world by storm.

‘There is new trend thats now, singles putting pear emoji in bio to show that they are single and open for any DMs,’ one user wrote.

‘If you’re Single, put a pear emoji in your Bio in all of your socials. Enough with Dating Apps…!’ another added.

And one joked: ‘People are adding pear emoji in their bio to say they’re single… I don’t know what more to say really.’

The Pear social experiment launched last month in the US, UK, Germany, Canada and Australia, and asks singletons to purchase a set of simple green rings for £19.99

The rise of online dating

The first incarnation of a dating app can be traced back to 1995 when Match.com was first launched. The website allowed single people to upload a profile, a picture and chat to people online.

eHarmony was then developed in 2000 and two years later Ashley Madison, a site dedicated to infidelity and cheating, was first launched.

A plethora of other dating sites with a unique target demographic were set up in the next 10-15 years including OKCupid (2004), Plenty of Fish (2006), Grindr (2009) and Happn (2013).

In 2012, Tinder was launched and was the first ‘swipe’ based dating platform. After its initial launch its usage snowballed and by March 2014 there were one billion matches a day.

Bumble, a dating app designed to empower women, was launched in 2014 by Whitney Wolfe Herd, Tinder co-founder.

Read the full article here