Decoding A Man's Facebook Profile: 10 Red Flags
Here are some Big Red Flags that turn a potential boyfriend into someone you should de-friend
A man’s Facebook profile is his social resume. The photos, friends and groups he chooses, along with other Facebook features he employs, paint a picture of his personality. Here’s how to find out if that picture is a Rembrandt or rubbish.
His Profile Photo: A picture is worth 1,000 words; a picture chosen by its subject is worth 2,000 words. A guy posing with his guitar, car or rugby team is either sincerely passionate about his hobby or wants girls to think he is because they reflect stereotypical female preferences. A pic with a pet shows he’s caring, but you may want to click through his albums to make sure Fido’s not in every photo.
His “About Me” Info: If a guy’s “About Me” is the longest thing you’ve read in years, you either need to start reading more, or you need to ask yourself why he’s willing to put so much about himself out there. He may be pompous or simply have no sense of privacy. Don’t be surprised when he overshares relationship details -- on Facebook or otherwise.
His Status Updates: A guy who can’t go ten minutes without a status update either has OCD, far too much time on his hands or an inflated sense of self-importance. That said, a man who posts once a year may fear judgment by, or comments from, his so-called friends.
His Status Content: If Farmville and/or Mafia Wars account for 50 percent or more of his updates, he probably seeks refuge in virtual worlds because he doesn’t have a lot going on for himself in the actual world. Fantasy can be fun, but this type of dude may have trouble in face-to-face social situations (e.g., dating).
His Relationship Status: We don’t care if he swears up and down that he’s single, if his status says he’s in a relationship, he’s only flirting with you because he wants a sweetie on the side. And if his profile says he’s married, defriend the dude before he tries to make you a homewrecker.
His Poking Habit: A Facebook poker is a flirt of the worst kind: He lets you know he might be interested, keeping you on the line, without ever having to do a damn thing about it. Besides, we all know flirts like the attention, so chances are if he’s “poking” you, he’s sending out pokes to more than a few female Facebook friends.
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His Friends: If his mom is his only other friend, chances are he spends his Friday nights at home watching the Game Show Network. On the other hand, a man with over 1,000 pals may have a problem saying “no.” In any case, any dude who needs to know what everyone and anyone is up to may focus on other people because his own life is a bore.
His Groups: It’s nice to see that a man has interests, but if he belongs to more groups than a teenage girl trying to climb the social ladder, it may mean that he desperately seeks approval and will jump on the bandwagon regardless of where it’s going.
What He’s a Fan Of: A guy who “likes” literally everything (people, products, brands, events, groups, cartoon characters, you name it) seems a bit desperate. While he could indeed be into all these things, his “likes” may just be a facade of the image he wants to project.
His Requests: Any guy who isn’t a celebrity, working performer or professional athlete but asks people to be a “fan” of him is either bigheaded or so insecure that he needs near-constant reminders that his “friends” like him. Reject the request and find a guy with a normal sense of self.
For more red-flag advice, check out the authors' dating guide The Little Black Book of Big Red Flags. You can also follow them on Twitter @bigredflags.
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