These Are The Biggest Dating Profile Red and Green Flags To Watch Out For
Our generation has come to realize that just about anything can be done on our phones. Hungry? Pull up a food delivery app and have Panda Express brought to your door. Need some new clothes? Why even get out of bed? Scroll, tap, add to cart. Need to go grocery shopping? There’s an app for that too. When it comes to dating, our generation has realized the same thing about dating. You don’t have to go out and meet people anymore, you can simply: swipe right, swipe left, message, swipe left. Boom. You’re in love. When it comes to online dating, dating website profiles can be full of red and green flags. Today, we’re going to look at some dating profile examples and see what you should be looking for and what you should immediately swipe left on.
Red Flags
Sometimes, you read a Tinder bio and it’s enough that you have to say no. Yeah, the person might be cute, but these red flags are glaringly obvious.
Not Enough Photos
You might come across a few profiles that don’t have a lot of photos. Sometimes, they only have one. Or, they have a few but they’re not the best photos and you can barely tell what the person looks like. This is an obvious sign that the person you meet with might look different than their photos or that you’ll be in for a surprise. It’s also a red flag if every picture they post has a face-altering Snapchat or Instagram filter.
Only Group Photos
If you have to piece together and play detective to figure out which person they are, it’s a red flag. Every dating profile should have at least one solo photo so that swipers won’t get confused. Yeah, you might like to have a good time and hang out with your friends, but whoever you’re dating needs to know who you are! Also, it begs the question: are they using their hot friends for clout?
Bio Isn’t About Who They Are
The bio is the one place where you can help your future prospectors get to know a little bit about you. I’m not saying they have to brag or seem completely self-obsessed but at least give a little background about who you are. So many bios are wasted on one-liner jokes or on listing off what you’re looking for or what you dislike.
Having Specific Requirement
If they have anything like “you have to be 5′ 10″ or taller” or “I only date blondes,” it’s a sure sign to run. While everyone has a type and it’s fine if you want to stick to it, it’s a lot to display it on your profile so forwardly. What are they really looking for if that’s what they’re putting out into the world? What else is on their laundry list of requirements?
Awkward Photo Crops
Why does every single photo on their profile look like it’s cropped? Sometimes it blows my mind that people take photos they have with an ex (or anyone) and crop them out. Honestly, just take some other photos for your profile!
Boring Bios
Once again, the bio is the one place and opportunity for you to show off your personality! If all you have in your bio is “what’s up?” or “message me if you want to know more,” then, you’re boring! Ask a fun ice breaker questions! Share a favorite movie quote or song! Have fun with it! Boring bios = Boring people.
Hyping Themselves Up Too Much
While the bio is a place to show off your personality, you don’t need to explicitly state how nice you are. Anything relating to you being a “nice guy” or “I’m not an asshole” or “I’m hilarious” or “I’m loyal” or “I’m the most honest person you’ll ever meet” is too much. What are you trying to prove? Most people want to learn things about you naturally and not be told how amazing you are.
Poor Grammar/Spelling
While I’m not saying everyone has to bring out a dictionary and thesaurus to create their dating profile, blatant and obvious mistakes are a red flag. If they’re not even putting in any effort into their profile, are they going to put any effort into you? Probably not.
“I don’t like… I don’t like…”
A lot of the time, negativity comes out in someone’s dating profile. If your profile is spent talking about things you don’t like, rethink that and instead, add things you do like! This type of negativity and criticism might drag into your relationship, so start out on a good foot.
Boring Photos
If you have eight selfies all taken in the same exact angle, what’s the point? The best profiles have photos that show you from different angles, doing different things! You can show off your personality, your hobbies, your interests! Maybe a picture of you in nature, or at a concert, maybe your hiking, or swimming!
Green Flags
Looking for the love of your life? Here are some green flags to be on the lookout for!
Music Playlist Attached
You can learn a lot about someone by taking a look at their musical interests. You can probably also find something that you have in common so you can start a conversation about it! I love when people have their music linked on their profile, I feel like it’s kind of like reading someone’s journal!
Hobbies/Interests
We want to know your hobbies, what you like to do and what you do in your free time! Your profile is the perfect place for you to show off your interests so you can find someone who is actually compatible with you! A single photo and “ask me whatever” don’t show off who you are as a person!
Link To Instagram
Some dating sites and apps make it easy for people to link their social media accounts. To me when people link their accounts, this is a huge green flag. This person doesn’t feel like they need to limit the information they are presenting about themselves! Their profile is not an overly curated version of themselves, you actually get to dive in and see more if you want to.
Questions/Call To Actions
If you see a profile that asks “what’s your favorite Taylor Swift song?” or “Tell me what your comfort movie is,” it feels so much easier to interact with. I love when people actually give you a reason to message them instead of simply presenting themselves and that’s it. Dating is all about getting to know one another, so why not start off with a fun ice breaker?
Upfront About Expectations
Are they looking for love or a fun night? No judgment either way, but it would be really nice to know upfront so you’re not shooting in the dark! Imagine going into a conversation and you’re looking for a real commitment while they’re just looking to have some fun. It’s better to just be honest in the first place.
A Variety Of Photos
We don’t want to see what you look like at the same exact angle six different times. A variety of angles and types of photos will help your prospectors see what you actually look like. Obviously, it’s easiest to tell what someone looks like in person, but seeing a variety of photos can help online.
Show Personality
Instead of saying “I’m funny,” show how funny you are. Also, this is not an autobiography, there is no need to write about yourself in the third person or to type like a robot. Have fun with it and type as you would talk in real life. This is how someone is “meeting” you for the first time, so be authentic and show off your personality!
Show Your Values
Are you religious? Now might be a good time to mention that (even briefly). Do you want to start up a serious relationship that could lead to marriage? Don’t say exactly that because that’s too overbearing, but make sure your audience knows what you want. Do you have strong political beliefs? Maybe it’s worth mentioning. Do you care strongly about the environment? Your beliefs are important and should not be sacrificed for a relationship, nor should you walk into a date blind.
Be Specific
Instead of “I like all music,” you can say something like “I like to broaden my horizons and check out different artists on the daily. Right now, I’m really into indie folk bands like Fleet Foxes. Do you have any recommendations?” This shows that you have specific and real interests and also opens up the conversation. Do the same thing with your other interests. “I love hiking and would love to go backpacking soon, but I haven’t yet.” Etc!
Happy Photos
I know we don’t all have a bunch of candids laying around, but it’s nice to have natural and happy photos on a profile! Social media has made life seem so curated lately, everything is posed and created. Instead, adding a few photos of you having a genuinely good time can really change your profile for the better.
What did you think about these dating profile examples and flags to look out for? Let us know if you have any red or green flags in the comments!