What Your Profile Picture Says About You

So you have done the hard part of deciding what picture out of the 50 you have taken, should be your new profile picture. Well, turns out your profile says a lot more about you then you had previously anticipated, and it actually majorly contributes to everyone’s first impression of you! It’s okay we were a little concerned when we found out too. Turns out many studies have been conducted that show differing impressions and reactions to people personality’s based solely on what picture they use on their profile. But don’t panic! We’ve got the rundown of what a picture shows about your personality, some red flags to look out for and what pictures to avoid posting at all costs! This article is aimed at helping both men and women realise their innocent profile mistakes and show how to change up your profile for those all important first impressions on a dating site. And you never know, you may also find out some things about you that you didn’t realise before. So read on for some inspiration, guidance and increased curiosity.

Your Personality Pic

There are many ways that your profile picture may be perceived. To help simplify this, here are just some of the traits commonly seen in profiles and what they look like.

• Down to earth – now being down to earth seems to be a rare personality trait to find on the internet and people who convey this image invariably have profile pictures that are of their pet, nature, their children or a selfie that is natural and hasn’t had any filters applied to it. Its shows they always look at the bigger picture and appreciate all of the little things around them.

• Conscientious – these people don’t really stand out from the crowd and their profile picture is similar to all those of their peers. It may include a particular filter or some sort of pose and this will change as the social wind changes. It can be a little generic at times but their lack of differences to the rest leaves a comfortable vibe whilst you are scrolling through your social media feed.

• Extroverted – These people normally have profile pictures that include a big group of people on a night out or just generally busy photos. They like to be surrounded by lots of people and their profile invariably conveys this. So if you want to show that you like being social and approachable then this might be a good photo to use.

• Open – These profile pictures use bright colours and big smiles. They are friendly and the sort of person you could stop in the middle of a street and conversation with. This is an amazing picture to use as people will feel more inclined to interact with you!

• Neurotic – people who have slightly neurotic tendencies will have profile pictures that take the attention away from them. Whether that be by wearing their reading glasses or having a pet in the picture with them. These people are the opposite of extroverted and would rather not stick out but still keep in touch with reality and social media.

We feel that this is a basic list of most of the profile personalities found on social media today and dating sites, so hopefully, you have found yourself in one of these categories. However, this is by no means is an exhaustive list, and if you want some more examples of what these pictures look like as an actual picture then follow Flirt.com.

Avoid a weird profile pic!

Having a weird profile picture will hinder you in many ways. For starters you may not even be weird but if your profile picture suggests you are then that’s it! Your label has been made and the first impression has stuck. But we can help you avoid any unnecessary awkwardness, especially if you’re hoping to find love online :)

• Avoid dark pictures – if the picture your posting is you in a dark room and your only source of light is coming from your phone screen then DO NOT POST. It can come off a little creepy (we mean this in the nicest way) and will make everyone think twice before they want to talk to you. Keep your photos light and bright.

• Pictures of just your friends and not you – this is super misleading and kind of odd. You need to make your profile picture personal and if your presenting pictures of your friends for the first impression then you will no doubt start off on the wrong foot.

These next ones go out to all the boys out there who use humour as a coping mechanism:

• Overly edited “funny” pictures – Whilst these are a funny antidote to send to your friends leave it off of your profile page. Not everyone will have the same sort of humour as you and as a result, you will limiting the number of people who will engage with you. It’s also super impersonal which can make your profile seem bland and uninteresting.

• Offensive “funny” pictures – now these are a step up from the one previous and actually use offensive messages as a medium for humour. AVOID! You have no idea who you could be offending and if we are being honest it’s just not needed on social media or dating sites. There is enough stuff going on in the world and our personal lives, we don’t need your “funny” pictures as well.

Blank Profile Pic

Moving swiftly on from offensive and weird we have ‘Blank profile pictures’. Now, these aren’t as bad as weird ones but they are super impersonal and will deter people from sending a request or interreacting with you as they aren’t actually sure who they are talking to. Some examples of these are:

• Cars
• Animals
• No profile picture at all
• Anime Characters
• Quotes
• Plants
• And basically, anything that doesn’t show your face

Now whether you don’t use an actual picture because you’re an old person in a young person game (social media) or because you are self-conscious of how you look, you shouldn’t let these things bother you. If you’re feeling a little uncomfortable try using a group picture or a picture from a nice occasion. Chances are you will look better then think and this is will also be a conversation starter. If you want more tips on how to be more confident in your pictures then read on.

Selfies

Now getting your personality into a selfie can be a little difficult, however, this is a perfect way of showing an updated picture of yourself and it feels incredibly personal! If you are a little bit awkward about taking a selfie try doing it in private first so you can work our your best angle and what lighting works best for you. We recommend standing by a window as natural light provides a down to earth style. Here are some more tips if you’re still a little unsure or not feeling inspired yet.

Sad Profile Picture

A sad profile picture isn’t always easy to notice at first and you might have one without realising it. We have compiled a simple list of sad profile pictures for both boys and girls.

• Lengthy quotes
• Black and white photo’s
• Picture of the back or side of your head
• Morbid imagery
• Picture of just a black screen

To avoid having a sad profile picture trying bringing in some colours, or taking a simple picture of yourself. Even if you’re not quite comfortable showing your face yet then maybe just stick to a picture of a scenery or your pet. Whilst this is still a version of a blank profile picture it is definitely more friendly and adds a bit of colour and personality.

Man Profile Picture

Now the profile pictures and tips mentioned above all apply to both men and women. However, this is just an extra section to outline some of the more ‘stereotypical’ masculine pictures and what they represent the differing personalities.

Sometimes men can be a little bit none-the-wiser to their profile pictures and what they say about them. And whilst this is completely innocent it can still set things off on the wrong foot, so here is a simple list of the typical man profile pictures and what they say about their personalities.

• Picture of a car – this can come off as a little materialistic and also insecure. It’s nice to be able to show off the things you have worked for or are aspiring to have but it leaves a cold touch and means fewer people will end up interacting with you. Also insecure because you do not feel comfortable enough to have a picture if your face or to even be in the picture with your car.

• Picture of a lion or random zoo animal – This should really be in the weird profile picture category as it doesn’t really have any rhyme or reason. It’s super impersonal and the whole predator vibe, especially on a dating site, gives off the worst first impression.

• One with a celebrity – meeting a celebrity is super cool and shows an extroverted lifestyle. It’s personal and is such a great talking point.

• One with a large fish (for all those fishing nuts out there!) – Once again major talking point and already shows what your interests are. Once again showing your personality to be extroverted and interesting.

• And sometimes, men will use a picture of them with their wife on their dating site – Nope, just no. Men do not do this…ever. If you are on a dating site do not use a picture of you and your wife as this will immediately stop anyone form wanting to interact with you. If you’re single and you like that picture of you then just crop her out!

If you’re looking for some inspiration to change up your profile pictures then check out some examples and tips for guys profile pictures that will help you meet more women!

Female Facebook Profile Picture

Now a lot of the profile pictures we have gone over in this article pretty much covers most of the profiles you can see from female Facebook users, and the other profiles do not really deviate from this. Some generic examples of a female profile picture can include:

• Picture with a snapchat filter or some fun effects
• Picture at a party
• One with a friend
• One with a boyfriend
• Or perhaps one on some sort of lavish holiday

They are all pretty innocent and as discussed in the first section can show many different personality traits and if you’re looking for some even more information then follow

In conclusion, a lot can be said about you in your personality photo and we have gone over all the different personality traits that can be found in different profile pictures. I suppose now you have read over the different types of personalities shown in a simple profile picture, it’s time to go check out yours to see what category you fit into. There are many examples throughout this article and if you are still seeking some well-needed inspiration…or you are still wanting to procrastinate from whatever boring task you were doing before this, then go check them out! This is a fun way to look at your profile and perhaps change up your dating game if you weren’t as luck before. However, at the end of the day, it can be really fun to see what your profile picture says about you but just remember not to sweat the small stuff. If you are having a good time and you are using the internet in a considerate and safe way then there is no harm done! So go have a look through your different profiles now and see how you can switch things up to change those first impressions!