A Life Worth Binge Watching
S2 E11 Extreme Makeover: Dating Edition
Last week, I shared some of my dating app horror stories and said that I would give some solutions to how these apps could possibly improve. I am not confident that even with these changes I will ever meet my soulmate on a dating app, but I will keep an open mind.
First of all, let’s discuss the profiles, and this can apply to both men and women. I’m not saying that I’m the guru of profile creation since clearly I haven’t had the best luck, but I do have some observations. I will break my suggestions down into a top ten list.
Top Ten Things NOT to Do When Creating a Dating Profile
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Post only face pictures. This is a huge red flag. You should represent yourself as you would in public and that means a full length photo. These should also be current photos, without a ton of filters. Be proud of who you are and how you look.
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Post photos of you in a group of more attractive friends. This is not going to fare well for you. Just Saying. Oh and if you have facial hair but have shaved, please show that bare face and say which one you currently look like! Same thing for girls, if you recently cut your hair or changed the color keep it current in the profile!
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Include pictures of your children. This should be pretty obvious for safety and privacy reasons but you would be surprised. Most likely you would not be taking your children on a first date, so leave them off the profile. You can, and should post pictures with your dog because dogs increase your dating value!
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Bathroom selfies. Please, just don’t do this. Have a friend take a picture of you or at least set a timer to take a photo of you in a less disgusting environment.
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All your pictures have sunglasses, a hat or no teeth showing. Show off those beautiful peepers, your full locks or bald head and smile! Try not to look like an angry ax-murderer, it’s not going to get you many dates. Along the same line, please remove your face mask.
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Typos and bad grammar in your description. This is why we have spell check. Use it! At least try to make a good impression.
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Misrepresent yourself or your intentions. Keep it real. This also includes your age, marital status, height, city of residence and career. If you are looking for something casual, be upfront about it. Do not say you want a relationship if you don’t. JUST BE HONEST!
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Leave the description/about me part blank. Put in some effort. People want to know what makes you special.
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Send a first message that says “Hey” or “How was your day?” Again, effort is key. Ask a question about something on their profile or give a reason why they stood out to you.
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Endless messaging without meeting. If you are on a dating app, the goal is to date. Try to meet as soon as possible to see if there is a connection. If you have a great time and like the person, explore that further and stop swiping! You can’t get to know someone well if you are still looking for someone else!
So there you have it, my extreme makeover for dating profiles. I wonder if there is such a thing as a “Profile Consultant” job. Hmmm maybe my next career move!
Melodye Lewis is a Friday columnist for Flagler News Weekly giving you something to talk about over lunch. Follow @ALifeWorthBingeWatching on Facebook. #ALifeWorthBingeWatching
