Research says using GIFs on Tinder increases responses by 30 percent

Dating is hard, online dating is its own hell, and opening lines can make you want to cease human contact altogether. It's awkward to straddle the line between just the right amount of forwardness and tact to total strangers when you're not actually interacting in person. 

But panic no more: new research by Dr. Jess Carbino, a sociologist at Tinder suggests that users are 30 percent more likely to get a response from matches if they open with a GIF. 

SEE ALSO: The rise and fall and rise of the GIF

"Instead of searching for the ultimate opening line, sending a GIF lets you show your personality and sense of humor," Carbino told Mashable via email. GIFs immediately lighten up the tone of a conversation and are a great way to push past the small talk."

Conversations with GIFs also last twice as long as those that don't have them. That maybe explains the 100 million GIFs that have been sent so far since the app introduced support for the file. 

SEE ALSO: Tinder's new feature may shake up your social life a little too much

Also of importance is the kind of GIF. Rather than just the same GIFs that always come up when you type "Hey" in the GIF search bar, try something topical or culturally relevant. (Currently, the most successful GIF on Tinder features Jimmy Fallon.) And once the conversation gets going, Carbino saw that GIFs related to a common interest do particularly well. 

Might we suggest a few:

Image: GIPHY

Image: GIPhy

Image: GIPHY

Image: GIPHY

Image: GIPHY

In essence, keep it fun, and use science to get the most out of Tinder. 

And, for the record, Carbino pronounces it "JIF."