- A new study has revealed that “Bad hygiene” is the most common dating ick
- Other high-ranking icks included “Lack of engagement” and “Social media obsession”
- The study examined data from the Reddit group “R/dating” to determine the icks with the highest number of upvotes
A new study has named “Bad hygiene” as the most common dating ick, with a total of 1,996 upvotes on Reddit.
Experts at the online dating site datingscout.com examined comments from 10 Reddit posts asking for common “icks” on the group r/dating.
Each comment that contained a specific ick was then categorised into specific groups. The icks with the highest number of upvotes on the social media site then determined the final ranking.
In the world of dating, an “ick” can be characterised as off-putting behaviour that causes an individual to lose romantic feelings for a potential partner.
Bad hygiene is the most common dating ick, with a total of 1,996 upvotes on Reddit. This category included people being put off by a romantic partner because they had bad breath, smelled of cigarette smoke, and had long fingernails. Other comments referred to getting the ick after finding out that their partner didn’t wash their hands after using the bathroom and didn’t brush their teeth twice a day.
Lack of engagement is the second-most common ick, with a total of 1,932 upvotes on Reddit. This category included icks such as not initiating intimacy, not making an effort to plan dates, and cutting people off in conversation. Poor listening skills and dry texting were also revealed to be recurring icks within this category.
The study found that having a social media obsession is the third most common ick, with a total of 1,831 upvotes on Reddit. This category included people complaining about their partner spending too much time on TikTok and checking social media sites regularly during dates. Other recurring icks in this category included frequently filming content for social media fame, trying too hard to become an influencer, and using Snapchat as a main form of communication.
A lack of respect is the fourth most common ick category, with a total of 1,259 upvotes on Reddit. Being too forward on a first date, littering, and lateness were all revealed to be frequent icks within this category.
The top 10 most common icks:
|
Rank |
Ick Type |
Number of upvotes on Reddit |
|
1 |
Bad Hygiene |
1,996 |
|
2 |
Lack of Engagement |
1,932 |
|
3 |
Social Media Obsession |
1,831 |
|
4 |
Lack of Respect |
1,259 |
|
5 |
Entitlement |
1,115 |
|
6 |
Sexual Incompatibility |
1,088 |
|
7 |
Addictions |
1,034 |
|
8 |
Unappealing Habits |
997 |
|
9 |
Lack of Empathy |
961 |
|
10 |
Disrespect for Others |
931 |
Entitlement is in fifth place, with a total of 1,115 upvotes on Reddit. This category included behaviours such as being snobbish, having a “victim mindset”, and intentionally ignoring text messages. Women refusing to pay on a first date was also found to be a common ick within this category.
Sexual incompatibility is the sixth most common dating ick, with a total of 1,088 upvotes on Reddit. This category included people losing interest in a romantic partner because they uploaded thirst traps to social media, were overcomplimentary about someone’s appearance, and included sexual preferences in their social media bio. Making sexual insinuations over text, having multiple sexual partners at once, and regularly having one-night stands were all revealed to be recurring icks within this category.
According to the research, addictions are the seventh most common ick in the dating world, with a total of 1,034 on Reddit. This included people losing romantic interest because their partner was smoking regularly and consuming excessive amounts of alcohol.
Unappealing habits are revealed to be the eighth most common ick, with a total of 997 upvotes on Reddit. This category includes nail biting, sitting cross-legged, and having bad posture. Going to the gym regularly and using photo filters were also found to be recurring icks. Some comments complained that they had lost romantic interest in a partner because they quoted movies and TV shows regularly and sang along to songs.
Having a lack of empathy is in ninth place, with a total of 961 upvotes on Reddit. This category included hating pets and not allowing their romantic partner to express emotions.
The study reveals that disrespect for others is the tenth most common dating ick, with a total of 931 upvotes on Reddit. This included people being put off by a potential partner after they described their ex as crazy and were frequently critical of others.
The research found that other common dating icks include being superstitious, rude to service staff, and financially irresponsible. Having unappealing friend groups and bad table manners were also found to be frequent causes of the ick.
Chris Pleines, founder of datingscout.com and author of the book Online Dating for Dummies, commented:
“The concept of ‘icks’ has become a prominent discussion point on social media. While this conversation began as a social media trend, recognising icks in a potential romantic partner has made a significant impact in the dating world, particularly when it comes to online dating.
“While you may feel discouraged after spotting an ick in a romantic partner, it’s important to remember that icks largely revolve around superficial behaviours. For example, while someone may be put off by an individual going to the gym daily, others may enjoy the fact that their romantic partner maintains a healthy lifestyle.
“It’s important to remember that recognising ‘icky’ behaviour in a romantic relationship isn’t the end of the world and that it’s often related to individual tastes and preferences.
“That being said, the ‘ick trend’ has illuminated certain behaviours that can be considered red flags in a relationship, such as having a lack of respect and empathy. It’s important to engage in active discussions about behaviours you may find off-putting and know when to take a step back after realising that you may not be romantically compatible with an individual.
“Setting boundaries in a relationship is hugely important and it’s always essential to uphold open communication in a romantic relationship.”
This information was provided by experts at the dating site, datingscout.com
[ENDS]
If you use any insights from this piece, please provide a linked credit to datingscout.com.
Methodology
- Comments from 10 reddit posts asking for common ‘icks‘ on r/dating were scraped for their content and scores. The comments were then filtered to remove any deleted comments, removed comments, and comments with 5 or less score.
- For each comment that contained an ‘ick’ the specific ick was manually extracted, these were then grouped into ick ‘types’ where possible.
- For each ick ‘type’, the study then calculated the total number of upvotes on Reddit to determine which ick type is the most agreed upon ick.
- The complete data set is available on request.
The complete ranking:
|
Rank |
Ick Type |
Number of upvotes on Reddit |
|
1 |
Bad Hygiene |
1,996 |
|
2 |
Lack of Engagement |
1,932 |
|
3 |
Social Media Obsession |
1,831 |
|
4 |
Lack of Respect |
1,259 |
|
5 |
Entitlement |
1,115 |
|
6 |
Sexual Incompatibility |
1,088 |
|
7 |
Addictions |
1,034 |
|
8 |
Unappealing Habits |
997 |
|
9 |
Lack of Empathy |
961 |
|
10 |
Disrespect for Others |
931 |
|
11 |
Bad Table Manners |
914 |
|
12 |
Rude to Service Staff |
845 |
|
13 |
Financial Immaturity |
835 |
|
14 |
Materialism |
722 |
|
15 |
Emotional Immaturity |
721 |
|
16 |
Unappealing Messaging |
670 |
|
17 |
Being Condescending |
627 |
|
18 |
Insecurity |
609 |
|
19 |
Manipulation |
570 |
|
20 |
Unappealing Friend Groups |
559 |
|
21 |
Egotism |
557 |
|
22 |
Vanity |
546 |
|
23 |
Unappealing Appearance |
486 |
|
24 |
Lack of Individuality |
404 |
|
25 |
Arrogance |
348 |
|
26 |
Using the word Ick |
340 |
|
27 |
Little Respect for Privacy |
298 |
|
28 |
Incompatible Beliefs |
253 |
|
29 |
Emotionally Unavailable |
250 |
|
30 |
Focusing on the Negative |
218 |
|
31 |
Need for Validation |
208 |
|
32 |
Superstitions |
201 |
|
33 |
Obsessions |
198 |
|
34 |
Not Being Honest |
197 |
|
35 |
Unclean Home |
149 |
|
36 |
Lying |
141 |
|
37 |
Unappealing Hobbies |
105 |
|
38 |
Lack of Critical Thinking |
99 |
|
39 |
Missing Life Skills |
90 |
|
40 |
No Ambition |
87 |
|
41 |
Taking Relationships Too Fast |
65 |
|
42 |
No Integrity |
60 |
|
43 |
Overcompensating |
24 |
|
44 |
Hunting |
22 |
|
44 |
Poor Parental Responsibility |
22 |
|
45 |
Physical Incompatibility |
15 |
|
46 |
Personal Incompatibility |
11 |
|
47 |
Too Much Cologne |
9 |
|
47 |
Health Obsession |
9 |
|
48 |
Directionally Challenged |
7 |
|
=49 |
Celebrity Obsession |
6 |
|
=49 |
Uncertainty on children |
6 |
|
=49 |
Being antisocial |
6 |
|
=49 |
Traditional Gender Roles |
6 |
|
=49 |
Oversharing |
6 |
