On average, people spend about seven hours online a day. It sounds wild, but it also sounds accurate. We’re online at work. We’re online at home. We’re online or almost online most of our waking hours. With so much online time, it’s natural that a lot of our socialization has now taken to screen time. I mean, take dating apps for example. You know the last two weddings I’ve been to were couples that met online? No joke! It’s the new dating landscape.
If this is where you find yourself, like a ton of other millennials, Gen Zers, and Gen Alphas, welcome to the club! Now, here are 7 questions to ask yourself to learn how to know if someone likes you online.
1. Do they follow you across platforms?
Most of us have profiles on at least two or three different sites or apps. From X to Insta to Facebook to LinkedIn and beyond, we are all over the internet map. And someone who likes you will know. How? Because they cyber-stalked you, of course! Like any good crush FBI agent will do. You’ll get adds or follows from them anywhere you have an online social presence. They may come all at once or one at a time over a few weeks, but they will come. If this person likes you they want to keep internet tabs on you and see what you’re up to. Plus, they’re hoping it gives them more opportunities to interact with you too!
2. How often are they watching your stories?
When someone likes you online, you’re at the top of their algorithm because they’re really interested in you and whatever you’re posting. This means they will be one of the first people to watch your stories if they’re online. And, even if they aren’t first, most apps and sites will have them listed at the top of your viewers list because they know that person has a high interaction rate with your profile. Gotta love how nosy and invasive apps are for this.
3. How soon do they like your posts?
Your online crush is going to be double-tapping your posts faster than you can hit refresh on your activity page. If you notice how your latest picture goes up and—boom—there they are with a heart or thumbs up within minutes, then there’s an internet crush going on. I mean, it looks like they have notifications turned on just for you! Or, maybe, they’re just casually scrolling… and by casually, I mean that they refresh your page every time they unlock their phone. Either way, quick likes are a big hint that this person is keeping a close eye on your content and on you. If it feels like they’re digitally lingering, then they’re interested.
Check out: How to talk to a girl online
4. Do they ever comment?
Likes are one thing, but comments? This is a whole other level of online crush behavior. I mean, comments take guts. Comments are bold moves in the online flirting world. If this person takes the time to comment, they don’t care that they’re seen. In fact, they’re confident. Kind of hot if you ask me. At least, if you want this person to like you. What they say is also important. Is it the fire emoji because they’re playing it cool? Or are they upfront and call you beautiful or handsome? Maybe instead they crack a joke or tease you. No matter their style, they are trying to get your attention.
Oh, and if they reply to your posts with a private message? Then that’s flirting with a capital F, my friend.
5. Is their behavior the same on other people’s profiles?
Here’s where it could get interesting. If this person follows all your pages, watches your stories, likes your posts, and comments on them, great! But if they seem to do that to 10 other girls or guys, then all of that means absolutely nothing. Nada. Zilch. Zip. Kaput. Donezo. Nothing. They are just an online flirt. Bummer, but true. Their attempt has to be targeted at you. They are trying to shoot their shot with you, not the whole online single population their age.
6. How often is your communication?
This is another key item. Messaging frequency is a dead giveaway when it comes to figuring out if someone is interested online or not. If they’re messaging you daily or even multiple times a day, they’re trying to build a connection. Maybe they send you memes or GIFs and then keep the conversation going. That’s basically a modern-day love letter! Or, maybe they use your story or post to ask a question and spark some chit-chat. No matter their strategy, if they are consistent and seem genuinely engaged in your chats with lots of questions and maybe a few jokes, they’re showing that they like talking to you—and probably like you in general.
7. How quickly do they respond?
To piggyback off of how often they talk to you, we next need to analyze how quickly they respond to you. Speed here matters more than it does in Mario Kart—and that’s a lot. If they reply almost instantly, they’re clearly prioritizing you. Now, we will give a bit of grace because we are humans who work and study and should be doing more than staring at our phones. But even if this person is busy, they will make an effort to get back to you or they will let you know they’re busy and get back to you later. Both are acceptable, respectable, and show interest.
On the flip side, if they’re leaving you on read for hours or even days, they may not be as into you as you hoped. I was once talking to a doctor who would respond to me between patients in the hallways of the cardiac unit where he literally revived people whose hearts would stop. Let’s be real: when someone likes you, they’ll find a way to respond. Fast replies equal enthusiasm, plain and simple.
Conclusion:
Online dating has a lot of overlap with in-person dating. The more positive your answers to the questions we asked today, the more this person probably likes you! The good thing about online interactions is you have extra time to think through your responses and it’s a little less nerve-wracking because we have a screen to hide behind. Take advantage of that and do a little flirting back, if you’re interested!