Dating Experiment #1: Would you still date me? (WYSDM)
A quick experiment on Tinder
Is it possible to present your authentic self digitally?
This is really the central question I want to answer. If you’ve read my previous post about the problem with profiles, you can get a deeper understanding at why this can solve a lot of issues. I wanted to devise a small experiment to test if you can represent more authenticity on Tinder.
Hypothesis
My hypothesis is if your individuality and personality is better represented (the good and the bad) in your online profile, it will help you attract compatible people (not just people who think you’re attractive).
It will also filter out people who aren’t that into you. Which is a good thing! Plus, their expectations are a lot more tempered and it’s less about selling an “idealized” version of yourself and more about getting to know one another. It might even curb small talk.
Sounds good, so what’s the experiment?
1. Re-write your Tinder Profile
This might spur some existential panic for a brief moment, but I promise you’ll be alright. Try to exercise some personal honesty for a moment.
- First screenshot your original profile
- Take a minute to write out your negative traits. You don’t need to beat yourself down but maybe think about your pet peeves. Are you a neat freak? Maybe you’re really forgetful? Maybe you’re an introvert and you need people to understand you need alone time. Another way to frame this: what might be something your potential mate would have to accept about you no matter what? (Also, don’t do that thing where you turn a ‘negative’ to a positive).
- Craft together your negative description by starting off with,
“I’m trying to be honest here in Tinderland…” - End with “Knowing this upfront, would you still date me?”
Some examples!
************Make sure you save your newly crafted profile************
2. Swipe away!
Hop back into Tinderland and continue swiping and interacting like you normally would. But let’s make this more scientific and do a comparative test between your old and new profile. The order might not matter, what’s more important is that you test both and you simulate the same conditions.
Test the “new” profile
- Record the time and day you want to start swiping
- Swipe for about 10–15 minutes
- Make sure you reply back to your matches and have conversations
- Test your “new” profile for 3 days
*********************Wait for 3 days then swap*********************
Test the “old” profile
- Change back your profile description to your original screenshot
- Schedule to do your swiping at around the same time
- Make sure you also reply back to your matches and have conversations
- Test your “old” profile for 3 days
3. Report your results
Fill out this quick 5-minute survey and let me know how it went. Not only are you contributing to a study that’s focused on improving Online Dating for all of humanity, but you would be doing this for science…and for love!
4. So what do I get out of this?
Not only will you feel good about helping solve one of the major frustrations of online dating, but by completing this experiment and submitting your results, I am more than happy to give you pointers on how to optimize your profile and share the trade secrets I have learned.
HALP! This seems hard
If you have any questions or need some advice on how to craft your profile, don’t hesitate to reach out! Email me at ruth.tupe@gmail.com!
