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It’s Time To Up Your DBL Game
If you’re navigating the dating streets in 2024, you have to be fluent in speaking single-ese. There’s an unspoken language between two dating prospects where each person must tetter a delicate line between non-verbal cues, decoding tone-less texts, and reading between lines that may or may not be there.
It’s safe to say that it can be confusing and even frustrating having to decide between playing it cool while still showing interest in suitors. Thankfully, we now have insights on how to get clear on Digital Body Language (DBL) to (hopefully) end these vicious guessing games once and for all.
What Is DBL?
Hinge recently released their latest D.A.T.E (Data, Advice, Trends, and Expertise) Report from its team of expert Ph.D. researchers. The report provides fresh insights derived from a survey of 15,000 daters, highlighting the predominant trends and dating habits of Gen Z in the year 2024, one of which is DBL.
According to Hinge, DBL is “all the subtexts that are strewn throughout digital communication.” From emojis, punctuation, message length, and response time, these subtle, nonverbal cues give singles a hint about whether a person is into them or not. It's the subtle art of reading between the lines, or rather, between the characters in a text.
In the report, Hinge found that 77% of its users say a match’s DBL reveals a lot about their intentions, with 69% of Hinge daters relying on DBL to decide if they want to commit to going out with someone.
The report highlights a common theme among online daters dealing with the anxieties of interpreting the social cues of their potential matches — which is still an uncharted communication barrier within the digital realm.
TikTok creator Stacy Thiru shared in a video the times that she’s jumped to conclusions and misunderstood things in her dating life until understanding the power of DBL. “All this time I’m jumping, leaping, sky diving to conclusions, and the problem was I wasn’t understanding his DBL,” she says.
@stacythiru wedding invites coming soon, wait until stink & I get this DBL sorted🙈 check the link in my bio for the full Hinge Gen Z Date Report #hingepartner
Decoding Signs of Interest Through DBL
Generally speaking, reading between the lines of every person you date is already hard enough. Each person is coming into a new dating encounter with their own set of experiences, expectations, triggers, and attachment style, so even with a new understanding of what DBL is, there’s still room for grace and understanding from person to person. Because, let’s admit, how one person communicates digitally, may not be how the next one will.
That’s why when it comes to decoding DBL and adopting a more direct approach to communication, Hinge's Love and Connection Expert, Moe Ari, highlights the top signs of DBL that indicate interest.
They Initiate The Conversation:
“Taking the time to look at someone’s profile [on Hinge] and reply to a Prompt is a great way to make it clear you’re interested in chatting. 3 out of 4 Hinge daters say that initiating a conversation is a strong indicator that someone is interested. So, instead of waiting around for someone else to kick things off, step outside your comfort zone and try sending the message first.”
There Is Consistent Messaging:
“Are they using open-ended questions to keep the conversation flowing and replying with empathetic responses? When someone takes the time in their day to message you back and forth and ask questions, it makes you feel special. So it’s no surprise that messaging consistency is one of the most important DBL cues for Hinge daters.”
They Double Text:
“This is one of the most over-analyzed DBL signs out there! Does it show you’re too eager, or is it just a casual stream of thought? Only 13% of daters say double-texting gives them 'the ick,' so it’s time to put the fear aside and embrace it. Show them you are interested and want to chat!”
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Aley Arion is a writer and digital storyteller from the South, currently living in sunny Los Angeles. Her site, yagirlaley.com, serves as a digital diary to document personal essays, cultural commentary, and her insights into the Black Millennial experience. Follow her at @yagirlaley on all platforms!
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
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Mariee Revere On Her History-Making Million-Dollar Sales And The Future Of MoonXCosmetics
If the name Mariee Revere sounds familiar, it's probably because you heard of her beauty and skincare brand, MoonXCosmetics, or you may have heard about her history-making achievement of making $1.8 million in less than eight minutes. But before starting her million-dollar brand, Mariee was just a teenager trying to cure her acne.
While she grew up in the skincare capital of the world, South Korea, Mariee didn't really experience breakouts until her senior year of high school. Like many people who get their first breakout, she didn't know what to do, and there weren't many products out there at that time. So she decided to experiment. What she didn't know was that what she came up with would ultimately be her ticket to success.
"When I graduated high school, I moved back to America, Georgia, and I ended up making, like, the oil, the Rose Galore oil, which is like the staple product of my brand. I don't know what made me make it, but I did, and it literally cleared my face up," she tells xoNecole in an exclusive interview.
"I end up selling it as a body oil first because, obviously, I'm 17, [and] don't have any background as an esthetician or anything like that. I just made a product that worked for me, but people bought it and was using it, and I reformulated it, and then it just stuck like with me."
While MoonXCosmetics is known for its facial products, it wants to expand to body care and home. It just released its new product, Moon-Gel body wash, and it's only up from there. As Mariee continues to grow the brand, it's more than likely that she will see more history-making moments. And so far she has.
Photo courtesy
When asked if she feels pressure to obtain more of those milestones, she says yes and no. "I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more," she says.
"I want to say more reach than more like fast-paced sales. I do want that. Obviously, every girl wants that, but I do want to have a better overall reach for my brand because I did take two years off so I was able to learn, [and] study a lot of different things. See how things have changed from 2020 to now."
"I did $1.8 [million] again, and then I did $2 million but I feel like now, currently, I don't look at that as one of my goals anymore because [of] the headache and just everything that came with it, but I was thankful and blessed to have that milestone, but now I'm looking for more."
Another part of expanding for any company is hiring people. Finding the right person to help you can be a hassle, especially for business owners who are used to doing all the work themselves. Mariee can relate to this, and she touched on this topic in her documentaryThe Million Dollar Story. She recommends having someone be your "right-hand man" who you trust to handle the ins and outs of the company.
"I could say, definitely get, like a right-hand man to help you within the process because that really was what helped me. I never had a job. I literally was 18 now, being like, you know, the boss of over 30+ employees at one point in time, and I didn't know anything. I didn't know anything about no W-2s, no taxes, no clock in, clock out because all I [have] ever known was my brand," she explains.
"So I definitely partner with people who are very skewed and versed in those areas, and they helped me get through it. Even to this day, I still have my same person helping me with hiring, firing, [and] doing everything that I can right now because I'm still learning. But obviously people get jobs young, so they have way more experience than me, but still learning."
And though she is still learning, one thing she makes sure to stay on top of is being consistent. Consistency is what trips many people up when it comes to achieving goals, but Mariee says it's all about scheduling. Whether it's when to post on social media or email marketing, scheduling it out can make a world of difference. That same practice also works when planning out her future goals for the company.
"Right now, future goals would be to drop at least five more products before the end of the year. We always do outreach, where we do drives and all that, but definitely do way more this year, she says. "Then really dive into body [care], and then hopefully open up MoonXBody underneath MoonXCosmetics to let that branch out and be open and definitely get back consistent."
For more information, visit moonxco.com.
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