The Prevalence of Little White Lies in Online Dating

Have you ever been perusing profiles on dating sites and seen someone who looks too good to be true?

Sure, there may be bots trying to catfish people or influencers trying to gain more followers, but I’m talking about a profile of a normal person who seems a little too polished. You search for clues in their profile that might indicate that they're lying or consider the extent to which pictures were edited. Do you “swipe right” and hope this person turns out to be as amazing as their profile makes them seem?

On the flip side, you might be considering how much you can stretch the truth when creating your own profile. Yeah, you might not love hiking right now, but it’s something you want to get into. Maybe you gained a few pounds over the holidays, but your New Year's resolutions are to get back on the dating scene and lose weight, so why not portray yourself as a little lighter since you’re going to lose that weight anyway?

How common is deception in online dating and what does it look like?

Deception in online dating, both your own and others', is a common issue that people worry about, but things may not be as dire as they seem. Although online deception is common, with some research estimating that 80% of people engage in deception, the things people are lying about are quite minor. For instance, people often fudge their weight and height a bit, particularly in the direction that is considered to be attractive—which for people who identify as men usually means they add a few inches to their height, and for people who identify as women may mean they take a few pounds off their weight. 

Relationshopping: why dating apps can lead to choice overload

One perspective is that some people may view their “profile as promise”, where they present the version of themselves they are working towards instead of who they are today. This might be the case when someone talks about hobbies or goals that they are not actively involved in or haven't achieved just yet. They present an idealistic version of themselves in an attempt to put their best foot forward, and to be fair,...

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