Four research-backed and expert tips to get the date you want — in time for Valentine’s Day
Major dating apps dish out four tips on how to snag the ideal date
Shocker: The weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day are a super-popular time of year for online-dating services.
Dating app Happn, for example, said in a press release that February 7 is the busiest time of year for its users. Meanwhile, last year dating services including OKCupid and Match told TIME that they see big spikes in sign-ups and activity around the holiday.
But just because you’re open to finding love online doesn’t mean it’s easy. In fact, it can be terrifying to wade through thousands of nearby matches in the hopes of finding someone decent (who thinks you’re decent, too).
To make things a little less intimidating, we rounded up some of the most practical online-dating advice we published this year. Read on to learn the tricks of the trade — and the biggest mistakes to avoid.
1. Choose a photo where you’re taking up space
Research suggests that we’re more attracted to people in expansive — as opposed to contracted — postures, even if we don’t consciously realise it. Men especially appear more attractive to women when they’re holding their arms upward in a “V,” reaching out to grab something, or standing in another expansive position.