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Thirst trap profiles
Curious what peps here think about thirst trap profiles on dating apps and lesser extent Insta.
There’s an aspect of commodification of sexuality in this culture, which speaks to an exchange or transaction. So it’s creating a market for sexuality in interactions where previously this was less overt.
The power dynamics are real since the “trapped” person transfers attention (power) to the other by attempting to get their attention in return (match, DM, whatever.
My impression is the people posting these images are acutely aware of the power dynamics since it’s perpetuated as culture now, which means people like it.
Im conflicted personally since I’m certainly attracted sexually to these profiles but I also associate thirst traps and selfie culture with insecurity, immaturity and ego/lack of self-awareness.
I have attempted to “break through” by going meta on occasion but it just hits up against the ego of the poster who views meta analysis as a judgmental approach within the same power dynamic- you giving attention to the trap.
An example of this is to challenge the insecurity of the poster with a comment such as “Conceited” or “Pretentious”. Interestingly this does evoke a response far more than a simple compliment which just puts you in the category of everyone else. However, a meta follow up while not giving up too much power still renders you somewhat powerless. Plus it creates tension. I have thought about more short attacks on the ego but it seems borderline offensive and sure to create a weak relationship dynamic were it to actually succeed.
The challenge I have is that it seems nearly every woman on dating apps under 30 is participating in this game on some level. They receive gratification and retain power, but it’s almost impossible to have power transfer back where they’re attractive and posting thirst traps, and thereby start a seduction dynamic that serves you both.
I'm not sure what's the exact question here hunter, or if there's any.
Is it:
- what do we think of women with thirst trap accounts
- what we think about the power dynamics of this trap accounts
- how to effectively interact and seduce women with with thirst trap accounts and dating profiles
Thank you Lucio, yes that’s a very succinct summary. Particularly the second and third dot points.
If it's for seducing, then I see it as an uphill battle from the comments.
Everything is possible, but it would require so many messages and so much effort that it's best to go for a wholly different strategy.
The best approach would be to first focus on having a similarly high-power profile.
In their case the power is sexual -as in skimpy and sexual poses-. In your case as a man, unless you're building a fitness/gym account or you're a male model, it would be a high-status approach -travel, luxury lifestyle, other cool and high-status friends, etc.-.
Thanks Lucio.
Assuming the profile is decent (mine is “adventure/travel” but I could probably signal my wealth and fitness better), what do you think is an approach? An equivalent to the “she looks at me first” in a cold approach but in the context where you are lower power just by initiating.
Seems it’s just about attention for many young girls, the answer may be to not focus there.
When you comment on their updates the power dynamics is:
- You're a follower
- They're the ones being followed
That means you're below them status-wise.
That could change if the person commenting on them is SO above them, that it wows them -but it should probably be at the level of a really famous person, or someone they admired from before-.
A decent profile who comments as a follower doesn't escape that dynamic.
As for approaches that maximize the odds of a decent profile successfully approaching a high-status profile, I'd have to think about it, and it's not something I've got immediate personal experience with.
