Dating app company handcuffs woman to pole as part of ‘world’s most embarrassing internship’

While internships can be a bane for many people, for management student Anya Jackson, the story ended with her standing handcuffed to a pole in central London. The “world’s most embarrassing internship”, according to 22-year-old Jackson, was a paid stint at the dating application Thursday. Jackson said that the stunt was intended to get people to sign up for the app. The handcuffs became a part of the stunt to tie it in with “cuffing season”. The picture, which was uploaded by Jackson on her LinkedIn account, has gone viral on social media. The post has received over 14,000 likes and 1,000 comments till date. In the post, Jackson mentioned that she was given a target of £25 and asked to get a thousand people to sign up for the app. She volunteered to get handcuffed to a pole with a sign that said she was a part of the most embarrassing internship in the world, and asked people to sign up for the dating app. Jackson added that her manager uncuffed her after she met her target. The post divided social media, with many stating that the stunt was “disturbing”. Some users also saw the stunt as exploitative and demeaning. However, Jackson also received messages of admiration and support from social media, including several job offers. Earlier, she had posted a picture of herself surrounded by over one hundred balloons, all of which were tied to her body. Jackson wrote that this was her “initiation” as an intern. Jackson had posted several pictures of herself performing such stunts on LinkedIn to garner more attention for her company while maintaining a low budget. The 22-year-old is currently finishing her Masters in Management from the University of Bath. She maintains that she volunteered for all the activities during her nine-week paid internship. She said that she found an “unbelievably supportive environment” at the Thursday dating app, adding that while the internship did take her out of her comfort zone, she would love to return to the company sometime in the future.