Top 5 Things To Know About Dating Apps Before Downloading One
Umi Wimberly | 2024
Dating apps are everywhere, and since COVID have been the main way for people to find romance. Seemingly endless scrolling, swiping and matching may eventually lead to a date, or something more, but there are some hoops to jump through first. Here are the top 5 things you need to know before jumping in.
Image from RD.com, Getty Images (2). Taken from the Reader’s Digest article “What Is Ghosting — And Why Is It So Rude?” by Charlotte Hilton Anderson.
5. Prepare to be ghosted
No matter how interested someone may act, one day they might disappear. Alternatively, you match and never speak or you text first and they never reply.
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Whether you have a small disagreement about music taste(Taylor Swift is hit or miss) or political beliefs(my profile says I’m a liberal and now you’re mad that it’s true), ghosting comes with the territory. For more information on ghosting, and how to deal with it, click here.
Now this feels like something that should go without saying, but it’s a hard concept for some to grasp. Pictures may seem superficial, and they usually are, but they’re also a way to show off your personality.
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If you’re out of ideas, try putting a picture of you at your favorite artists’ concert or participating in your favorite hobby. Even a simple picture of you at home with a pet can show a lot about the kind of person you are. Learn more about how to take pictures that show personality here.
Umi Wimberly pictured in Boulder, CO on Friday, May 20th, 2022 by Vakiesha Wimberly. This picture was taken before Crankgameplays “I Have To Do This Tour” show.
4. Have more than one picture
Cartoon image of a friend group. Image taken from WikiHow article “How to Be Friends with Guysas a Woman: 13 Expert Tips” written by Moshe Ratson.
3. Please… No group photos
Despite the title of this, feel free to add one or two, especially if friends are a big part of your life, but DO NOT make it your whole profile. You will get less likes and less matches because now we have to try and figure out which one you are.
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Dating apps are like puddles, shallow, so as bad as it sounds, if you’re not “the hot one” people are going to ghost and unmatch as soon as they find out. This rule is touched on in Hey Saturday’s article, which includes more profile do’s and don’t.
No matter how they phrase it, nor how sweet the message may sound, the follow-up will be “hanging out” at their house or dorm. As sad as it seems, the “dating” part of a dating app is just for show, and most people are on there for a quick hook-up or friends with benefits.
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If they really want to take you on a date, they’ll say so. “When can I see you?” is just a less crass way of asking, “Wanna hook up?”, so if you’re looking for something real, don’t fall for it. Here are some other popular signs that show they just want sex.
Screenshot of a “U up?” text from the article “Emergency Alert Systems Texts ‘U up?’ at 4am. This article was written by Allana Reoch and published on May 11, 2018.
2. Asking to “see you” is a booty call
Umi Wimberly with boyfriend Elijah Galster at Meow Wolf in Denver on September 9th, 2023 edited in Photoshop with a big red X over it. Photo taken and edited by Umi Wimberly on February 21st, 2024.
1. Don’t put pictures of you with a person you may be attracted to
Now, this may seem similar to number 4, but it’s just the tiniest bit different and WAY more important. Pictures of you and someone of the opposite gender acting all cozy is a HUGE red flag. Now I know this seems like a very conservative thing to say, but it is true because we don’t know this person.
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They could be an ex, someone you’re secretly in love with or someone who’s secretly in love with you, and no one wants to deal with all that drama after getting involved. As for people attracted to the same sex, the rule is just don’t have pictures with an ex.
So that was a lot of information, but the main takeaways are: show personality, try not to take group photos, stay away from your ex and be wary of people’s intentions. Dating apps are a whole other world, and hopefully, this made you feel ready to jump in! Top dating apps are linked here, have fun and be safe!