11 Easy Rules Everyone Should Follow On Tinder & Dating Apps

Here, 11 tips to help you explore the world of Tinder—and help you find what you are looking for:

It can feel alienating and superficial to swipe right or left on people's faces. But recognize that attraction is simply one part of dating rather than a crass behavior that only exists on dating apps. You'll be making dating much easier on yourself. And also understand that attraction is idiosyncratic, totally unique to you, and ever-evolving—so what you find attractive today might be different six months from now.

It's totally fine if you want to use Tinder for casual hookups, but know that going into it. By the same token, if you want something more serious, own that. It does not make you a monogamy-obsessed loser if you sign up for Tinder because you want a relationship. But you do need to take responsibility for your expectations. It will make the whole process less confusing for everyone if you know what you want.

This one is simple. Don't engage with people who make gross or strange comments or try to engage with you in less-than-appropriate ways. You might be tempted to scold them for uncouth comments, but it's ultimately not worth your energy. If they are the type of people who act like that, they are not going to be the kind of people who will listen to your pleas for decency.

If you don't want to make it part of your bio, drop in a subtle reference to something you care about right at the get-go as a litmus test for whether or not you and your Tinder match are "on the same page" ideologically and otherwise.

Assert some element of humor, immediately. Love thrives with laughter. However, we all have different senses of humor, so your brand of humor may be vastly different from another's. Try to toss out jokes to see if you are compatible in that way.

You can never really get to know someone via text or messaging app, but you should at least exchange enough messages to get a better sense of where they are in life, what they are like, and if it's worth your time to make a date with them. It can be incredibly frustrating to go on a date and almost instantly realize that this person is not for you. Ideally, you can help suss that out beforehand through messaging.

That being said, be mindful of the fact that some people don't translate as well over the phone. Sure, in this day and age, you might be tempted to judge someone's personality via their text etiquette, but take into account the bigger picture. Even if they aren't witty and dynamic via text banter, do they hold similar values to you? Does it seem like you have shared interests? Honor those dynamics, too.

If someone gives you enough information about themselves for you to look them up online, then do it! It might be colloquially described as "Facebook stalking" or the like, but in reality, it's all too common and normal. It no longer should be classified as "creepy" behavior. Get as much data as you can before the in-person date—or use it as a means to decline a date. Perhaps you find a social media account that shows a side of them you don't connect with? Better to know that before the date so you don't waste your time. Technology is a resource. Use it.

It's a fine balance: Get a sense of someone via messages before meeting, but don't rely on your text dynamic for too long. Chat with your Tinder match as long as it takes you to feel out what their dating expectations might be, what their interests are, what their conversation style might be like. And then go for it.

Noncommittal statements or plans sound something like the following: "Wanna hang sometime?" or "I'm free next week, let's meet up!" These are very unhelpful when it comes to actually making a plan. These behaviors, too, are bizarrely telling of someone's communication skills and general abilities to live their lives with mindfulness, intentionality, and integrity.

You're on a dating app—that's completely normal. Make a decision now to be self-accepting because it’s no weirder than most other forms of meeting people.