If you’re using dating apps to connect with a new partner, there is a chance that you’re a beige flag, or worse, you’ve attracted one. Dating apps already come with their challenges and now, TikTok has revealed another hurdle to look out for. If you thought red flags and pink flags were enough to worry about, read on to find out why no one wants to be a beige flag.
What is a ‘Beige Flag’?
A beige flag is a sign that you are unthinkably boring, or at least your dating app profile says you are. One TikTok user, @itscaito, took to the platform to rant about what might be even more prevalent than red flags on dating apps. Caitlin MacPhail, the self-proclaimed CEO of beige flags has opened up discussions about the boring profiles that ruin the chances of a prospective date. The TikToker shares a five-part TikTok series highlighting the many beige flags.
Many have responded to the comical videos with relief that somebody finally said it. Dating apps are no longer about just dodging red flags, but now you’ve got to keep an eye out for beige ones, even on your own profile. While beige flags, i.e. being boring and telling the entire internet about it, did exist before the term was coined, they seem to be getting less tolerable.
Following the initial (and ever-growing) list of beige flags, MacPhail has since started a series of reviewing dating app profiles to highlight what beige flags look like. Lack of originality and ‘playing it safe’ will get you flagged, immediately.
There are layers to being boring, though. In an interview with VICE, MacPhail elaborated on the idea of ‘hot girl beige’: “I also think ‘hot girl beige’ has really resonated with the community, which is people (not just women) using ‘being hot’ as their personality and not really offering any information about what they are actually like, because they don’t need to. They’ll get matches regardless”.
Signs to look out for
Hiding behind puppies
Not only is this an obvious one, but it is also insanely distracting. Even still, while admiring the cute furry friend, no one is fooled by the beigeness of this photo choice.
Referencing basic sitcoms we’ve all watched
Whether it’s ‘How I Met Your Mother’ or ‘The Office’, mentioning super popular sitcoms reveals nothing about your personality. In other words, this is not the way to stand out and it screams beige.
Using food as a personality trait
If you even think about mentioning pineapple on pizza as a prompt, you have stepped into the deepest depths of beige flag territory. These cliche food debates are cringey, according to the hordes of TikTok users engaged in the #beigeflag conversation online. Collectively, it has been decided that ‘loving’ food, putting ‘food is the way to my heart’, or referencing boring food combinations, is a big fat warning sign of boringness.
Crypto
MacPhail calls this a beige flag, but TikTok straight-up called it a red one.
Listing travel as a hobby
We all love to travel and get away every now and again so where is the line between being a seasoned traveler and someone with nothing but a profile of vacay pics at the typical tourist attractions?
Nothing but selfies
The idea behind this one is that if you have nothing but selfies on your profile, you most likely don’t socialize enough. It suggests that you’re not the spontaneous type who has ‘in the moment’ kind of nights worth remembering. Instead, you’re always in control of how picture-perfect you look in your desired lighting at your go-to angle. Get out more and document the escapades using anything but the front camera if you want to be less beige. Maybe there are extra points to earn if it’s a film camera pic? Who even knows?
The question is, can anyone avoid exuding beige flag energy? If so, share the secret so that everyone else can experience more interesting ways to show off the IRL personality that is everything but beige.
Related: How to Spot The Red Flags In A Partner in the First 6 Months, According to Psychologists