6 Tips for Successful Tinder Dating
To swipe left or to swipe right? This all-important decision in digital dating can sometimes get the best of us. It’s when we must quickly decide whether or not to let some voiceless, two-dimensional stranger know that we think they are worthy of a match. There are so many important (superficial) things to consider: do they have a nice face, a well-written bio, the same random Facebook likes as you, a picture with an adorable animal? The list goes on.
Whether you just want to find a hookup, find a date, or find someone to love you forever (LOL), dating apps like Tinder can be a quick and easy solution. Who needs potentially awkward, face-to-face introductions when you can simply swipe through a list of nearby singles and make dating an actual (mildly addicting) game? So let’s keep ourselves educated on how to do it right and earn those dime pieces. Lucky for you, Jerk, your virtual wingman, has got your back. Here are some fine words of wisdom on how to achieve those ideal right swipes and avoid matching with someone you should’ve swiped left. Because that Tinder inbox can get real weird, real quick.
1. Remove all duckface selfies and shirtless mirror pics. This is Social Media Etiquette 101 kind of stuff. If any of your photos contain the above offenses, you need to seriously examine your mobile dating game. There’s never a need for shirtless mirror pics. Do a clean sweep of your Tinder photos and dig into your Facebook profile pictures for some decent snaps of your normal face, fully clothed. You’ll definitely begin to see your match quality increase. You get what you give, folks.
2. Think about what your bio says about your character. If your bio says something along the lines of, “I’m only on here to get laid” or “Please swipe right,” then you’re sending out questionable vibes. Your bio is literally the only part of your profile that offers any actual insight into your personality, so people want to feel like they can actually connect with you after swiping right. So if it sounds douchey, desperate, or like you could potentially be a serial killer, you’re better off leaving your bio blank.
3. Remember that group photos are confusing. Have you ever landed on a profile where the default photo is a group of friends? Then you tap for more info, only to find that every photo is a group photo? Well, if you have, you know that it’s damn confusing. No one is going to swipe right on someone who could be any one of five different guys. Your dating profile should be about you (duh).
4. Keep in mind exes (or current lovers) in your photos is a huge red flag. This is another given. It’s assumed that you’re on Tinder or other dating apps in order to find someone to connect with romantically, sexually, and definitely non-platonically. Since that assumption is pretty clear, you should know that your potential matches will be very hesitant with your profile if it screams emotional baggage. Take those photos down ASAP if you ever hope to find Tinder success.
5. Don’t be an asshole. Once you get your match, be nice. Don’t begin the conversation with “Dat ass doe” or “Where can we meet to hook up?” Although it’s easy to forget, there are real people on the other ends of these conversations. This is not how you get any closer to what you want out of Tinder. If you just want a one night stand, do you, but at least have the common decency to make nice conversation that could actually earn you a date. Start off with something kind and flattering like “beautiful eyes” or simply a “hello there, how are you?” If you can’t manage niceties, then you probably deserve the failure that is your Tinder life.
6. Keep an open mind — you don’t have much to lose. Try not to be super picky about who you swipe right. Behind every profile is an actual human being with complexities beyond anything you can really see on Tinder. Try not to swipe left for something as little as an odd hairstyle or an average body type. You never know what a person is like until you connect with them, so don’t miss out on any opportunities. You really don’t have anything to lose. If they turn out to be a shitty match, you can just simply erase them from your roster with a single tap. Done.