New Jersey women are vetting dates online and the bar is surprisingly specific

Over the past decade and a half or so, dating apps have just become a part of the social scene.

People pick which platform they want to use, create a profile that they think shows off their best qualities, and then the swiping begins.

Of course, after matching with someone, the research begins. It used to just be a quick scroll through the person’s Facebook profile to see what they post, or confirming their employment on LinkedIn, but now it’s so much more that singles are looking for.

a cell phone with a picture of two people on it

A new study put out by Reputation Pros commissioned Cherry Data Signals to conduct a survey of single women to find out what ‘online signals’ they look for when looking someone up to see if they’re dateable, successful, trustworthy or more attractive.

As for what single New Jersey women are looking for when researching a possible date, some are factors I never would have thought of, which shows how out of the dating app world I am.

Before you pause reading this to Google yourself to find out what comes up, see if you would pass the test for an online Jersey girl.

woman wearing black sweater holding hand with man wearing gray suit jacket

These are New Jersey singles’ digital ‘green flags’ for a potential partner

❤️ He has a blue checkmark on at least one platform
❤️ His name has autocomplete suggestions on Google
❤️ He has spoken at a conference

I was a little shocked at our number one, because I thought we were well past the point of blue checkmarks meaning anything anymore. If I saw a blue check in 2014 maybe I’d be impressed but in 2026? Not so much.

When it comes to the autocomplete, I can see how that would be remarkable as long as the autofill isn’t something like “*Person’s name* list of victims question mark” or something.

Speaking at a conference is neat, but I’d rather find that out on the actual date as a way of getting to know him. I guess I’m just old school?

A man standing on top of a stage in front of a crowd

Some of the major green flags in other states are whether the guy has been invited onto at least three podcasts, if he has a Wikipedia page that doesn’t look too self-written, and if he has been quoted in a national news article.

Showing just how important one’s digital presence can be, more than four in 10 said they had cancelled or avoided a date because of something they found about a man online.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5's Kylie Moore. Any opinions expressed are Kylie's own. You can follow Kylie on Instagram.

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