Memes are a love language, Hinge says

In the modern era, much more than physical touch and gifts can count as love languages. New data from dating app Hinge shows that memes are emerging as a way to show your affection.

Daters' number one preferred way to flirt before and after a first date is sending memes, according to a Hinge survey of 2,000 users. A majority, 73 percent, use memes to determine if they share a sense of humor with a match, while 60 percent prioritize getting a sense of someone's "meme humor" before going on a date.

A whopping 93 percent say memes reveal a potential partner's sense of humor. Ninety-two percent of daters consider a shared sense of humor to be an important factor when considering getting into a relationship.

Why is sharing a sense of humor so important? "When we laugh, our brains release a happy cocktail of hormones that increase our levels of trust, lower our levels of stress, and make us feel more relaxed," explained Hinge's director of relationship science, Logan Ury. "The dopamine hit from laughing reinforces our behavior and makes us want to go back for more."

Our digital sense of humor has become an important part of our identity, Ury continued. If a potential date has a ho-hum reaction to your memes, remember that 36 percent of daters usually feel more interested after receiving a meme from someone — even if they don't think it's funny.

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"Focus on the things that really matter in a long-term partner: someone who’s loyal, emotionally stable, and brings out the best side of you," Ury advised. "Plus, if they don’t get your memes, that’s OK. You have a whole Internet full of people to share that part of yourself with."

There are ways you can show off your personality other than memes, too. Ury suggests sharing a self-deprecating story, planning a more playful date (like roller skating or a dance class), trying something new, and using emojis.

Also remember that there's a lot more to pre-date banter than memes. According to Ury and Hinge's data, modern daters want to see your tender side as well as your silly side: 93 percent of Hinge users prefer to date someone who's emotionally vulnerable. Mental health matters to daters now more than ever, so don't be afraid to express yourself or to talk about mental healthcare and therapy. Memes may be a love language, but it's not the only one.