There’s a good reason why you should update your dating profile photos more often — according to your matches
Nobody likes a catfish — but lots of people are reeling them in.
In the age of Botox, filters and flattering angles, you might look less like the photo on your dating app than you realize.
But your date probably noticed.
More than 50% of Gen Z and millennial users have gone on a date with someone who looked very different from their profile pictures, according to a new survey from relationship app Hily.
The poll surveyed 3,700 users earlier this month and discovered that the difference has real consequences for one’s dating life.
A whopping 54% of Gen Z and 62% of millennials say they’ve either ended a date early or declined a second one after realizing their match looked nothing like their photos.
And scammers do know.
About 45% of Gen Zers and 33% of millennials admitted that their profile pics are “close to their actual looks,” but not the mirror image of who will show up for drinks.
This could be because one in five women and one in four men haven’t updated their dating profile pictures in at least six months. And, unfortunately for some, time goes as quickly as your hairline.
But people aren’t mixing this into their first-date small talk, as only about 10% to 12% of people say they’ve been told they don’t look like their profile photos.
But why aren’t singles updating their profile with their latest selfie?
For women, their fear of being judged for their looks leads many to scroll back into their camera roll to find their favorite photo of themselves.
Meanwhile, men simply feel like updating their profiles won’t make a difference.
But snapping the perfect picture at golden hour — please, no fish pics — can help get people to finally change their photos.
Over half of women and 44% of men say that’s what pushes them to hit “edit profile,” along with major life changes like moving or starting a new job, or just a series of disappointing matches.
However, some people are sticking with their first picks forever.
Around 19% of women and 14% of men say nothing could convince them to update their profiles.
And people’s photos aren’t the only part of their profile that hasn’t been changed since they first downloaded the apps.
Around 20% of women and 17% of men admit they’ve never updated the “looking for” section of their profile — even if what they were seeking had changed since they started swiping.
