Navigating matters of the heart can be like walking through a minefield of emotions. Oftentimes, it’s difficult to extricate our personal feelings from situations and view them from an outside perspective to see clear evidence of a very basic question: Does the person we have feelings for like us or not?
Sometimes we can want a potential relationship to work out with someone so fervently that we choose to ignore certain cues, but that’s where this dating expert comes in with her “big sister advice.”
TikTok user Sarah Lauren (@sarahlauren71), recently made big waves with her video titled “big sister advice,” which has amassed a staggering 5.8 million views since Nov. 16. The video serves as a candid guide to understanding signals in modern dating, specifically focusing on “Things girls do when they don’t like you.”
Sarah’s insights are straightforward and relatable. We’ll give you a summarized list to keep it simple:
- 1) Group Activities Only: “If they do not wanna hang out with you on your own or go on a date or just do one on one things, it’s because they wanna put you in the friend zone.”
- 2) The ‘Busy’ Excuse: “If a girl says to you, ‘there’s just a lot going on right now in my life,’…it means I’m trying to avoid you, sorry, I do not wanna prioritize you in my time right now.”
- 3) Consistent Avoidance: “If she avoids any hangouts that you ask…if that keeps happening…the hangout is never actually gonna happen.”
- 4) Mismatched Reply Times: “If she’s not matching your reply time…she doesn’t like you, she’s not thinking into it.”
- 5) Suggesting Other Dates: “If she tells you or suggests to hook up with somebody else…she doesn’t like you.”
- 6) Picking Arguments: “If she picks arguments on the littlest things…she doesn’t like you, she’s annoyed.”
The TikTok community responded to her clip in true stand-up fashion. Comments ranged from playful jests like, “What does 4 restraining orders and blocked mean?” to more direct ones such as, “What does ‘I don’t like you leave me alone’ mean.” Another user humorously noted the disparity in response times, saying, “well I do respond in 2-3 hours and she takes 2-3 days, She does kinda match the energy.”
@sarahlauren71 big sister advice here #fyp ♬ original sound – Sarah Lauren
Sarah’s video is more than just entertainment; it’s a healthy blend of humor and practicality to be heeded. Her “big sister” approach provides both men and women with insights into the often confusing world of modern relationships. The video’s popularity clearly underscores the relevance of such content in today’s social media landscape, where the line between entertainment and real-life becomes blurred.
Sarah Lauren’s TikTok video is a testament to the platform’s ability to combine light entertainment with a digestible, yet heavy, message. Her advice should resonate with many navigating the complexities of modern dating—if said advice is heeded properly. As Sarah subtly suggests, understanding these signals can save one from unwarranted heartache, which is a reminder that sometimes, “I have a lot on my plate right now” is a cue to step back rather than sit down for dinner. So maybe pursue someone else, get to work on that screenplay you’ve been putting off, or hit the gym, bro.
The Daily Dot reached out to Sarah via email for comment.
