How to Make Your Online Dating Profile More Convenient With a Swipe
Online dating is exhausting as hell if you don’t find the right phrase. I’d be lying if I said I enjoy using Tinder, Bumble and the like, but dating is almost unheard of without them these days. I’ve heard a few people describe their dating apps as “similar to video games,” which is kind of disappointing given that there are real people attached to the videos on the screen.
But it is not all that bad. Several people I know, myself included, have had positive experiences and healthy relationships as a result of online dating, and so can you. However, you must first get the swipes. Basically, if you have to play this wacky video game, you can play it well, and below are a few ways to make your profile more scrollable.
Let people see what you look like
This is very important. First impressions are key no matter the format, and if people can’t tell you what you look like, their experience won’t be good. It might seem superficial to emphasize this, but keep in mind that we are dealing with dating apps that reduce a person to a few photos and hopefully witty sentences, which is why photos are important. You will need at least one up-to-date photograph that clearly shows your face – from a real angle other than MySpace – and a full body image (preferably fully clothed).
Minimize group shots
Unless your group is doing something extremely cool, posting a group photo is really useless. (Want to prove that you are a fun guy or girl? Suggest a fun date to start a conversation.) Photos with a lot of people are confusing at best, especially if you have a homogeneous group of friends, and at worst, your potential date might find some of your friends are more attractive, which is inconvenient for everyone.
You also shouldn’t talk about it, but don’t use pictures of you and your ex. They say it’s great that you’re friends and all – don’t complain about them or anything else on the first date – but photographs of old lovers aren’t exactly an aphrodisiac.
It’s better to be your damn dog
“Nice dog!” “He’s Not Mine” is my least favorite type of Tinder conversation, which is impressive considering the real buffet of horror that Tinder conversations represent. If you’re going to use the creature’s attraction to get matches, you better show that attraction.
For the love of all goodness, please indicate if you are poly
Look, nothing against those who are in open relationships – I myself am in one of them – but no one likes unexpected poly situations . While polyamory is becoming more and more popular , it’s not for everyone, and it can be a real bummer to find out that this person you are actually hanging out with has a partner you weren’t expecting.
Avoid posting the same photos as everyone else
It might be a regional issue, but it looks like every dude swiping in Portland is constantly on the mountain and 80% of women are stuck in endless yoga classes. The bumblebee is especially popular for dead fish, and there aren’t many giant dead fish photos that I can look at without glazing my eyes (which is a lot like a dead fish photo).
Photos of you doing what you love are great, but use one image for each activity and keep in mind that you may have the same preferred pastime as your competitors, and the whole purpose here is to stand out. If you only swipe across the opposite sex and thus don’t see the type of photos that other men or women are posting or posting, I suggest asking a friend who dates your gender for the most common photos. I can only speak on behalf of PNW, but I bet dead fish are popular all over the place.
Don’t write a novel
The whole point of dating is to get to know each other, and while it’s nice to have a few common topics to discuss, listing all the TV shows, groups, movies, and books you like is tedious and can work. against you. For example, if one of your least favorite bands is in the top 10 on the list of potential matches, you can swipe to the left, even if romantic relationships are quite capable of bridging the difference in musical opinion. In general, keep it short – list only one or two main interests and include at most one joke. (My most popular profile annotation was almost too short “just looking for someone to play shuffleboard with”; feel free to grab it.) That being said, feel free to include two or three very important non-negotiable aspects of your life, such as children (or, again, if you are poly).