What Is 'Loud Looking' In The Dating World? Inside The Trend That Lays Your Intentions Bare

It's been a hot minute since we've added a new dating trend to our lexicon. Luckily, Tinder's Year in Swipe 2024 has arrived, so we can once again go down the rabbit hole of cringe-inducing, often toxic dating trends. Tinder teamed up with OnePoll and surveyed 4,000 people between the ages of 18 and 30 in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Among such terms are "cinnamon roll," which is someone who's sweet, and "dating diaries," in which people overshare the trials and tribulations of dating on social media. But there's one trend that really stood out: "loud looking."

Loud looking is something that you may already be doing, but now there's an actual term for it — because if a trend doesn't have a term, does it exist? Loud looking is when you're very clear about not just who you're looking for, but your intentions with that person. "Daters are no longer willing to settle for ambiguity or mixed signals," Kirsty Dunn, director of communications at Tinder Australia Kirsty Dunn told News.com.au. "Instead, they're seeking connections that align with their values and offer real, meaningful interactions. This trend is reshaping dating into a more purposeful and intentional experience."

People were content with being vague about what they wanted from dating apps for too long. Whether that was out of fear of being honest or because they were genuinely up in the air about things, those days are over. Time to get on the loud-looking bandwagon.

At its core, loud looking means dating with a specific intention in mind. You know what you're looking for and you're going to get on the dating apps to find that very specific person and, ideally, end up in a relationship that you have decided is the one you want. "Intentional dating is a remedy for the superficiality of modern dating," sex educator and founder of Beducate, Mariah Freya, told Cosmopolitan. "Instead of endless swiping, ghosting, and small talk, it emphasizes quality over quantity and depth over surface."

Of course, what one wants is dependent on the person doing the loud looking. Some might want a situationship with a person in the arts, while others might have intentions that lead them down the aisle into, marriage, and two kids with a brain surgeon. Then there are those looking for a man in finance, trust fund, 6'5", blue eyes, with whom they can explore polyamory or open relationships. Whatever it is, it's something you wanted, actively sought out, and achieved because you stated in your profile exactly what you were looking for — loudly — so you didn't waste your time, or anyone else's.

If you're going to put loud looking into practice — before revamping your dating profile — know precisely what you're looking for. It also doesn't hurt to know and share what you don't want, to further weed out the people who aren't right for you.

When putting it into words, keep your loud looking succinct. According to a July 2023 study by Opinium, the ideal bio length is 15 to 45 words (via Mashable). You also want to make sure that your spelling and grammar are top-notch because those are dating app mistakes that will really hinder your search for love. A 2016 survey of over 9,000 people by Zoosk found that 72% of respondents were turned off by spelling errors in dating profile bios, and 48% labeled bad grammar as a dealbreaker (via Teen Vogue).

Dating isn't easy for a lot of people. With changing social rulebooks and apps to use, it can be hard to keep up. There are also reportedly over 380 million dating app users worldwide with that number projected to increase to over 450 million in the next three years. In other words, it's just going to get harder. That's why being honest and engaging in loud looking is the best way to handle dating apps.