In-house Sociologist Has Some Very Good Advice

Tinder’s In-house Sociologist Has Some Very Good Advice By Drake Baer Share Tweet Share Share Email Comment Print Photo: Chad Springer White Door Photo/Getty Images/Cultura Exclusive RELATED STORIES The Best Tinder Profile Is a Well-Balanced Humblebrag Narcissists Get More Dates Just a year ago, Tinder was the dating apocalypse. But as 2016 continues on, the swipe-centric app has become increasingly normal. According to in-house sociologist Jessica Carbino, some 80 percent of users aren’t even doing their millennial duty and looking for casual sex: They desire old-fashioned, long-term relationships. Despite the app’s outgoing reputation, Carbino tells Business Insider’s Shana Lebowitz, lots of would-be romances are short-circuited because guys and gals alike just don’t know what to say. “A lot of individuals need to have fodder to make conversation,” Carbino said. “It’s very difficult for people sometimes to put themselves forward and try to make that first move.” Her recommendation, then, is to add conversation starters to your bio. The kindling comes in many forms: If you brag about how worldly a traveler you are, ask your would-be reader what their favorite spot on Earth is. For a foodie, ask after restaurants; for the aesthete, a favorite artist. The point isn’t to be mysterious; it’s to be accessible. And a well-placed question, giving the reader an easy on-ramp to bantering with you, does just that. Her advice is in line with empirical research: A recent University of Iowa study found that the most attractive dating profiles were high on transparency and communicated trustworthiness. The lesson seems to be that if you want to make the transition from swiping at a screen to IRL encounters, you should make yourself easy to talk to. BUSINESS INSIDER