Bio-Baiting: The trend of exaggerated dating profiles
Online dating has its own language, and for Gen Z, there’s a term for nearly every trend. The latest? Bio-baiting . A Reddit user recently shared his experience with it, “At first, I thought bio-baiting sounded a little dramatic, but then I started thinking about my last few dates, and yeah—it’s definitely real. I matched with people who listed all the right green flags—therapy, emotional availability, communication, here for something real—but when it came down to it, they couldn’t hold a genuine conversation beyond surface-level stuff. I thought I was the problem, but now this bio-baiting trend makes me feel a little less crazy for noticing the shift.”
Why singles oversell themselves online
According to experts, exaggeration often stems from insecurity or a need for validation. Shalini Singh, founder of andwemet, a dating app community, shares, “People may enjoy the attention and interest they receive without realizing it is based on a false impression. The desire to be liked or accepted can easily lead someone to misrepresent themselves.”
“Casual dating apps train users to curate and exaggerate, and that habit can spill over into real life. The constant pressure to impress online makes people project aspirational versions of themselves offline too, blurring the line between who they are and who they pretend to be,” explains Chandni Gaglani, head of Aisle, a dating app.
While it may not be outright lying, it still misleads potential partners, often resulting in disappointing dates and disillusionment. “The disappointment of meeting someone who doesn’t match their bio is a key reason for dating app fatigue. It erodes trust and makes the whole process feel disingenuous,” Sylvia Linzalone of the dating app Wisp told Indy100.
Seeing beyond the profile
“With AI tools, it’s easier than ever to create profiles that look impressive but are misleading. One needs to take the time to observe and understand the person. True insight comes from noticing patterns in behavior and conversation, not just the profile text,” shares Shalini.
Why singles oversell themselves online
According to experts, exaggeration often stems from insecurity or a need for validation. Shalini Singh, founder of andwemet, a dating app community, shares, “People may enjoy the attention and interest they receive without realizing it is based on a false impression. The desire to be liked or accepted can easily lead someone to misrepresent themselves.”
“Casual dating apps train users to curate and exaggerate, and that habit can spill over into real life. The constant pressure to impress online makes people project aspirational versions of themselves offline too, blurring the line between who they are and who they pretend to be,” explains Chandni Gaglani, head of Aisle, a dating app.
While it may not be outright lying, it still misleads potential partners, often resulting in disappointing dates and disillusionment. “The disappointment of meeting someone who doesn’t match their bio is a key reason for dating app fatigue. It erodes trust and makes the whole process feel disingenuous,” Sylvia Linzalone of the dating app Wisp told Indy100.
Seeing beyond the profile
“With AI tools, it’s easier than ever to create profiles that look impressive but are misleading. One needs to take the time to observe and understand the person. True insight comes from noticing patterns in behavior and conversation, not just the profile text,” shares Shalini.
- A poll of 1,500 singles found that almost two-thirds (63%) admitted to feeling disappointed after meeting someone who failed to match their polished profile
- The survey revealed that the most common bio clichés included ‘love to travel’ (which left 68% of respondents disillusioned), followed by ‘adventurer’ at 51%
- Meanwhile, 39% described themselves as ‘entrepreneur’, 34% as ‘foodie’, and 29% as ‘spontaneous’
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