Singletons warned against ‘over-sharing’ on Tinder Dating App

Leading online parenting site MummyPages.ie warns mums and dads against posting photos of their children on public dating app Tinder. A survey by MummyPages.ie has revealed that 77% of single dads compared to just 19% of single mums currently have photos of their children posted on the popular dating app.

• 77% of single dads post photos of their young children on Tinder
• 19% of single mums post photos of their young children on Tinder
• 57% of single MummyPages mums are looking for love ahead of Valentine’s Day
• 71% of single MummyPages mums find online dating the best way to meet new people
• 96% of single MummyPages mums ‘swipe left’ if a potential suitor does not include a profile picture or depicts themselves as a cartoon character
• 79% of single MummyPages mums are more likely to ‘swipe right’ if key information such as being employed, hobbies and having a GSOH is included in a Tinder profile
• 63% of single MummyPages mums find it endearing to see ‘cute’ photos of pets with their owner
• 36% of single Irish men include photos of them in their communion outfits or as a baby
• 14% of single Irish men upload photos of them enjoying time with their own mum
• 21% of singletons had their Tinder profiles connected to their Instagram account to showcase more of their personal life
• 74% of single MummyPages mums take safety precautions when going on a Tinder date

Single mums are winning the Tinder war when it comes to classy profiles, responsible dating and the all-important ‘swipe right’ main profile pictures. It’s no surprise that there have been lots of happily-ever-after stories for time-starved single parents on Tinder and online dating sites. However the risks are not just around the dating part itself, where most now follow the common sense rules of telling friends when and where they’re meeting a date so that they can check in on you by phone.

According to the MummyPages.ie survey, a shocking 77% of single dads are currently posting photos of their children on free dating app Tinder. Of these profiles, two-thirds are posting solo photos of their children while one-third pose with their children in the pictures.

MummyPages Top Tips for Single Parents using the Tinder Dating App

According to Laura Haugh, spokesmum for MummyPages.ie:

“The very real risks of putting photos of your children online have been discussed at length in recent years, so much so that many of us have locked-down our social media profiles to restrict photo sharing to family and friends. In our research, we were stunned at the huge percentage of men who happily shared photos of their children on the free online dating app Tinder. Single mums were not so carefree and naive with very few sharing photos of their children within the dating app.”

“Of course, some single parents prefer to be upfront with potential suitors; however the text summary section of your Tinder profile allows you to do this without putting your children at risk to paedophiles trawling the internet. Unfortunately, there are people who take advantage of online anonymity and dating sites to prey on single parents and their children, so we urge them to consider how precious your children are to you and protect them by not posting photos of your kids on online dating sites.”

“All parents are innately proud of their children, but as much as your children are the number one priority in your life and you want potential dates to know that, their privacy and safety should be borne in mind. In fact, they probably wouldn’t thank you in later years if they knew their images were used in such a way. ”

Top Ten Tinder Tips for Men:

1. Obscure photos: blurry or long distance photos of you aren’t helpful, neither are those of you wearing a hat and sunglasses! A friendly, clear main photo of you is more likely to make a potential suitor pause to consider your profile before swiping left.
2. Arty photos: a potential date wants to see photos of you, not the mountains or a holiday beach scene, nor do they want to see a cartoon depiction, drawing or quote, or foodie pic!
3. Group photos: how do I know which one is you? Most swipers won’t invest time in detective work. I want to date you, not your friends!
4. Photos of your Kids: this is dangerous. Include your parenting status in the text summary of your profile. ‘Loving dad’ is definitely not a turn-off to many women, especially single mums!
5. Photos of your Ex: please don’t post photos of your ex-wife, girlfriend or even your mum! Wedding day photos are a big no-no.
6. Pet photos: if it’s a dog, include it as that can be perceived as quite masculine by some, if it’s anything else, especially those from the reptile family – leave it out.
7. Selfie photos: avoid the obvious bathroom mirror shots, especially where we can see the toilet! Men are not as talented as women at selfies, get a good camera app, play around with angles and filters and make sure we’re not looking up your nose!
8. Body photos: we don’t need to see your abs! It makes most women think that you’re either majorly ‘into yourself’ – swipe left; or looking for hook-ups only – swipe left.
9. Sports & Hobby photos: an active sportsperson, or hobby enthusiast makes you interesting to a potential suitor so include one or two photos which reflect your passions in life.
10. Text Summary: be genuine and honest about what you’re looking for from Tinder, whether it’s a date with the potential to build a relationship or just some fun. Include employment status, height, parenting status, your lifestyle interests and what you’re looking for in a woman.