Whether it’s your most controversial opinion or cheesiest chat up line, your Hinge prompts say a lot about you, but what is the ‘perfect prompt?’
Coming up with creative, witty prompts can be quite a challenge. Prompts, if used correctly, are an amazing way to spark interesting, engaging conversation without the incredibly dry ‘hey’, and set up the perfect foundation to break the ice before a first date.
They can also be a complete car crash.
We’ve all been there – you’ve matched with someone who is exactly your type. You’re excited as you scroll through pictures of them smiling on holiday and laughing with friends, and they appear to be the perfect match for you. Everything looks good.
And then you see it. The most cringeworthy, toe-curling, prompt that makes your skin crawl. Suddenly, the photos you were admiring now repulse you. You have no choice but to swipe left.
You’ve got the ick.
The ‘ick’ is real, and the feeling is impossible to shake. Unfortunately, it doesn’t take much in 2023 to give people the ick. You get one chance to make that first impression, so please, for your own sake, don’t ruin it with an appalling prompt. They’re the best way to give insight into your personality, so make the most of them.
I know what you’re thinking – what constitutes a good prompt from a bad prompt? Surely, it’s all opinion based? What if something I find funny is cringe to someone else? These are valid points, but hopefully, this will provide you with some tips to create a perfect prompt to show off the best version of you.
Setting up a dating profile is tricky. It’s difficult knowing how to stand out from the crowd. However, a great starting point is showcasing your sense of humour, which can be done easily via prompts. In a survey taken by students at the University of Sheffield, every respondent voted that an example of a ‘good prompt’ included some sort of humorous element: “Something that will make me laugh or want to ask a follow-up question and shows personality or something interesting about them.”
It goes without saying that humour is subjective – while you may chuckle at what you think is your witty prompt, someone else may scroll past without cracking a smile. But a good tip is to be as out there as possible. Hinge users love the niche things that separate people from the crowd, so use this to your advantage. Picture you’re in primary school. You’ve been asked to share a fun fact about yourself with the class. Think about what you’d say and get it on your profile. We’re all individuals, and probably very interesting people. So, come on, I’m sure there are at least three fun things about you that you can use in your prompts.
Another safe bet is sarcasm. People feel inclined to respond to a sarcastic comment or controversial opinion that they can’t help but nibble on. If you’re a student, an easy one is referencing the opposing university in your city. It evokes responses from students at your university who agree, as well as the other university who feel attacked and simply have to respond. It’s a light-hearted conversation starter while matching with students who may have similar interests to you.
So, cats or dogs?
It’s a debate as old as time itself. Which side you choose doesn’t really matter, because it’s an easy, harmless discussion – but with impact. I’m sure most of us could go back and forward debating this all day, therefore it’s the perfect prompt. When it comes to the ‘green flags’ people look for on a dating profile, the majority of survey respondents mentioned pets. This makes it so easy. Whether you’ve got a dog, gerbil, or goldfish – we don’t give a shit. Just whack a cute photo of them on your profile.
Now that we’ve covered good prompts, it would only be right to address some things to avoid. If you’re a Hinge user, you’ll be all too familiar with the re-used prompts that pop up on every other profile – snooze. It’s boring. Crucially, it doesn’t make you want to get to know the person. Based on answers given on the survey, the biggest prompt ‘red flags’ are when they’re “basic, overused, or their humour is dry”. Also “when there’s nothing to reply to” and “when it doesn’t give insight into their personality.” Don’t get me wrong, it’s hard to be original and witty, but at least don’t be generic.
Another mistake is being overly specific about who you’re looking for physically. It can close you off from potential matches, who feel put off getting to know you because they don’t fit your ‘type.’ It’s important to remain open-minded and get to know people for more than looks – which makes prompts so useful.
Whether you’re a beginner on dating apps or consider yourself an expert, all of these do’s and don’ts are a lot to remember. De-Andrea Blaylock-Solar is a Relationship Therapist based in St Louis, Missouri, and spoke about the importance of remaining genuine on your profile.
“My main piece of advice to people using dating sites is to be yourself instead of attempting to provide some type of representative that’s not 100% authentic. I think it’s a good idea to attempt to be a little witty or funny in your prompts, but always remain true to yourself. The best way to utilise the prompts is simply to answer authentically. If you like to use comedy in conversations this is a great time for that and can be done easily by following the direction of the prompts which Hinge provides.”
De-Andrea met her husband through a dating site in 2017 and got married in 2021.
“Dating can be challenging. My best advice would be to go in with no real expectations of dates or when they will happen, and just be open to the experience. Sometimes, if you go into dates thinking this might be ‘the one’, you can set yourself up for heartache. However, if you are open to the experience and just looking forward to getting to know another human, then using dating sites can be a very fulfilling journey.”
Overall, the most important thing is having fun with dating! There are so many weird and wonderful conversations to be had; many of which can be initiated through prompts. So, don’t take yourself too seriously, keep an open mind, and choose your three prompts wisely.
But please, for Christ’s sake, don’t swipe up on someone’s prompt with “hey”.