Whoa, wow just think, a decade ago we didn’t have Tinder, Bumble or Hinge, we hadn’t heard of ‘swiping’ to find a partner and Hey Saturday, the pioneers of dating photography, had yet to be born! So we think you’ll agree, some fantastic things happened in the world of online dating over the past ten years.

On the other hand, we’re all desperate to leave behind the decade which saw the rise of fake news and move towards more honesty, integrity and truth online. What does this mean for our dating and how can we be part of the change we want to see online? We take you through some of the do’s, don’ts and latest dating trends for 2020 so you can make sure your dating profile is keeping up with these fast-moving times.

Dating Do’s for 2020:

Do: Be even more honest and authentic

People are fed up of things not being what they seem. We’re all quick to criticise a politician or celebrity if we feel they’ve not been honest online. But what about ourselves? Are we really being as honest as we can be in our online dating? Is this something we can improve on and evolve as we start this new decade? In 2020, people are going to value honesty more and more in dating. As dating and relationship expert Laura Bilotta says, “people will be more honest with themselves and with their potential partner about wants and needs, rather than wasting time trying to impress a person.” This means it’s going to be even more important for your dating photos to be authentic and show the real you. Ditch anything that’s old, out of date or gives a false impression. Invest in dating photos that are honest.

Do: Work on your self acceptance and self love

With so much fakery around in the news and in celeb culture, the twenties are going to be all about truth and honesty. A great place to start is with some self acceptance and learning some self love. Forgive yourself your flaws and learn to love them. That means embracing and celebrating all your quirks in your dating profile photos and even showing things you haven’t previously liked about yourself. Whether it’s freckles, large thighs or a flat chest – it’s part of you and deserves to be on show. When you look at your dating photos, you should say “yes, that’s me!” At Hey Saturday we’ve been championing self love for the past couple of years and will continue to do so as it becomes ever more mainstream this decade.

Do: Embrace hobbies

We agree with Kashia, who said on Twitter recently that our generation seems to have ‘lost hobbies’. Everything has become a hustle, a side hustle or a money making enterprise. Sometimes it’s fun to do something because it brings you joy, it’s relaxing, or it allows you to be creative. In online dating, hobbies allow you to connect with potential partners and share common interests. You definitely want to have ‘downtime’ with your partner, without everything being about work. Showing your hobbies in your dating profile photos is a great way to rediscover the things you love and attract like minded people. Whether it’s playing an instrument, reading or gardening, make sure it’s on display in your dating profile – let’s make 2020 the year of rediscovering hobbies!

Dating Don’ts for 2020

Don’t: Use ‘kittenfishing’

Kittenfishing is a new dating trend to be aware of and to make sure you avoid for 2020. The term ‘Kittenfishing’ was coined by dating app Hinge, and involves presenting yourself in an unrealistically positive way. Some of the obvious ways to do this are by using old or heavily edited dating profile photos. If we are going to move towards honesty online, this is a big no-no and goes against everything we stand for here at Hey Saturday. If you want to edit your photos, they should only ever be lightly retouched, so that they present a recognisable version of you. Even better – leave it to the experts (that’s us), because we know how to edit photos so that you look great, whilst still being honest.

Don’t: Fall into the trap of ‘type-casting’

Another new dating term for 2020 is ‘type-casting’, which involves only dating people based on your personality or star sign compatibility. For example, you might have on your dating profile ‘no Scorpios’, or rule out certain people based on their Myers-Briggs personality type. This can also extend to dating photos – for example you might exclude people who wear certain brands, dress a certain way or seem to have different interests to you. Well we say – how boring! You might be ruling out all sorts of fabulous, interesting people that you’d get on like a house on fire with, just by being narrow-minded. In 2020, embrace open-mindedness and step outside your comfort zone.

Don’t: Use the same photos all year

Have we mentioned that this new decade is all about honesty?! A great way to keep yourself in check and make sure you’re being honest in your online dating, is to regularly keep your dating profile updated. Don’t use the same set of photos all year, but keep ringing the changes. This is easy if you’ve got a good quality set of images that you can rotate, depending on the seasons, your different looks or moods. Don’t keep photos on your profile that show last season’s haircut or facial hair. And if you’ve recently taken up a new hobby, (see above…!) your dating profile photos is the perfect place to show off!

Smart words by Lauren, sassy photos by Saskia