What Not To Do When Sliding Into Her DM’s
Hey Dr. Darcy, there’s a girl in my workout class that I really like but I’m not sure if she likes me. Do you have any thoughts on DMing her and asking her out?
I always do a quick Google search before answering questions to make sure the advice I’m about to dispense isn’t painfully obvious or painfully wrong.
On this topic I break from the pack of [usually unqualified] advisors who overwhelmingly caution against sliding into her DMs.
We live in the digital courting age which makes choosing social media above an in-person conversation an obvious choice of first contact, and there’s lots of reasons why:
- It’s less vulnerable when you’re not in person.
- You don’t have to worry about catching her at the wrong time.
- Rejection may sting less if she can’t see your face while you’re feeling it.
But there’s lots of reasons why she might prefer you ask in a DM:
- She won’t be put on the spot.
- She’ll have time to vet you before answering.
- She will feel less awkward and anxious.
That said, there are some basic Do’s and Don’ts I’ll share with you:
DO THESE THINGS ON IG BEFORE ASKING HER OUT
- Follow her.
- Interact with her by making thoughtful comments that involve more than 2 words. If she replies, advance to the next bullet.
- Begin the DM by asking a question that shows you’ve taken the time to read what she posts about and shows you’re curious about her. After she responds, you’re clear to ask her out.
DON’T
- Exclusively use emojis (especially the phallic ones).
- Interact with 1 or 2 words. Put some effort behind it and cough up a full sentence, even if you don’t use punctuation.
- Ask her out unless or until she responds back. If she says nothing, she’s not interested.
- Double DM her. See above for why.
- Ever send a dick pic. I wanted to assume this was obvious but my team overruled me.
When she does respond — because I’m an optimist (and I’ve seen your profile) — ask if she’d like to grab a coffee sometime after the gym.
LMK how it goes!
Writer submitted their question via Instagram DM.
Demographics can never be assumed but they appear to be male and straight.