What is ‘bio-baiting’? Meet the sneaky new dating trend fooling singles

Dating in the digital age is starting to feel like an extreme sport. If you've managed to dodge ghosting, breadcrumbing, shrekking or cushioning so far – well done, you're one of the lucky few.

Or maybe you've just tapped out altogether, quietly opting for the warmth and safety of your sofa rather than keeping up with the ever-growing dictionary of dating disasters. Hear, hear.

It does feel a bit dystopian at times. And when the older members of the family ask why you're still single, how exactly are you meant to explain that modern romance isn't about love letters and walks in the park anymore? It's about getting breadcrumbed by someone who follows more girls than the local lash tech.

Just as we finally got our heads around catfishing, along comes a new term to contend with: bio-baiting.

Like catfishing, bio-baiting involves a bit of deception – but this time it’s all about overselling your dating app bio in ways that don’t quite hold up in real life.

A poll by Wisp, which surveyed 1,500 singles, found that nearly two-thirds – 63 per cent – admitted to feeling let down after meeting someone who didn’t live up to their carefully polished dating app profile.

Among the most common bio clichés singles have been misled by were "love to travel," which 68 per cent of people felt let down by, followed by "adventurer" at 51 per cent.

Meanwhile, 39 per cent described themselves as an "entrepreneur," 34 per cent opted for "foodie," and 29 per cent went with "spontaneous."

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The app's in-house dating expert, Sylvia Linzalone, explained how bio-baiting is playing a huge part in putting singletons off dating apps.

"The disappointment of meeting someone who doesn’t live up to their bio is a primary reason for dating app fatigue. It erodes trust and makes the entire process feel disingenuous," she shared.

So, how can singles spot a ‘bio-baiter’ and avoid disappointment?

Linzalone advises: "Look for specifics over vagaries. A ‘traveller’ can be a red flag; someone who says ‘hiking the Andes next month’ is probably genuine."

Ultimately, the best defence against bio-baiting is to move the conversation off the app and into real life quickly. The longer you stay in the messaging phase, the more room there is for projection and disappointment.

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