7 ways a shy person will use social media to tell you they’re into you
When most people have a crush, barring any major restrictions or potential complications, they’ll almost always make their feelings known to the object of their affection (eventually). This is obviously great if you’re the person they have a crush on and you also have feelings for them. But if your new admirer is a bit on the shy side, they might have a hard time yelling their feelings for you from the mountain tops (or even, ya know, texting you back).
All is not lost, though. While your shy girl or guy won’t be making any huge declarations, thanks to social media, they’ll still be able to let you know they’re into you.
In fact, according to Christie Hartman, Ph.D., a dating expert, there are several advantages to social media interactions for introverts or those among us who are simply shy. The biggest being that all interactions can take place from the comfort of their own home and don’t involve the traditional pressures of meeting people IRL. Because interacting with new people can be so taxing for our shy friends, social media makes it easier to quietly observe, before initiating conversation.
Here are 7 ways your shy online friend might let you know they’re totally into you.
1. They’ll LOL at your not-so-funny tweets.
Most of us are guilty of this in real life: Whenever we’re around the person we’re crushing on, we tend to laugh extra hard at their jokes, even when they aren’t that funny. The same applies for your shy admirer on social media. Since they haven’t yet worked up the courage to set up an offline hangout, they’ll definitely let you know they think you’re hilarious by “LOL-ing” at all your tweets. And considering the fact that most of us aren’t as funny as we think we are, the constant lullz over your admittedly not-amazing content online is a sure sign they’re into you.
2. They leave *heart-eyes* on the ‘gram.
Eye contact and shamelessly staring at the person we like is a major part of flirting, but that’s basically panic-inducing for super shy people. So those little heart-eye emojis on your most recent selfie are the shy person’s version of checking you out and letting you know that they see you. *hint, hint*
3. They’ll secretly collect information on the things you like.
If someone who’s shy has a crush on you, they’ll pay close attention to the things you say on social media. They’ll probably make a mental note of your favorite TV shows, bands, and whatever else you’re into. This way, they’ll not only be able to gauge how much you two may have in common, but they’ll also be able to start conversations based on your likes or dislikes. Additionally, they might use your current interests to recommend other shows, songs, and books they think you’ll enjoy. There’s really nothing but upsides to this for you.
4. They might watch your snaps over and over…
Unless you’ve recently gone on a super rant or you’re vacationing in some exotic location, your snap stories really aren’t that interesting. But if someone is constantly watching and rewatching your puppy dog-filtered face while you’re lip syncing to your favorite song right now, they might be into you and too shy to say so.
5. They’ll add you on Facebook even if you have no mutual friends.
Everyone knows there’s an unwritten rule of Facebook: You absolutely shouldn’t add anyone you don’t know in real life, or that you don’t share mutual friends with. But when a shy person likes you and they’re unable to express their feelings at the moment, all social media rules go out the window. Maybe go check your friend requests ASAP — there might be a hot, shy, stranger waiting to get to know you. They obviously don’t know you, but they’ve added you because they’re interested in changing that. You aren’t obligated to talk to them (of course), but it can’t hurt to take a peek.
6. They will subtweet you.
Since your shy crush has yet to confess their feelings for you, they probably won’t be sending you sweet love letters and text messages, but if you pay attention, you might realize they’re saying more than you think. Often times those song lyrics or poetic lines in their latest tweets or status update could be them describing their secret feelings for you.
7. They’ll eventually slide into your DMs.
When the time is right, and they’ve observed enough, and worked up the courage, your shy crush will (hopefully) eventually find a reason to slide into your direct messages. Now, before you get your hopes up, they might not immediately tell you how much they love you. Maybe you’ve posted about having a bad day, and they’ll take the opportunity to make sure you’re okay. Or if you haven’t posted in a while, they’ll send a quick message to check in.
Either way, this is definitely a step in the right direction. With a little patience, you and your shy boo could be offline lovers before you know it.
