If you’re up to date with modern slang, you likely know what "sliding into the DMs" means. Well, if you don’t, let us briefly introduce you to the term.
It’s an act of sending a casual direct message (DM) to someone you have no prior conversation with on social media. Some sources say that it has different functions, from personal reasons to networking and business opportunities. Others, like the Urban Dictionary, say it’s a message with the intention of a hookup. Well, we guess it’s up to everyone to decide for themselves what the key aim is.
There are plenty of suggestions online on how the action of sliding into DMs can be done. Here, Cosmopolitan suggests putting some effort into it instead of writing a simple “hey.” For instance, by asking a question or using icebreakers. Of course, being respectful is important too.
Apparently, the latter doesn’t cross the mind of everyone who decides to slide into DMs. Some decide to go with overly stupid jokes, thoughtless remarks, or even straight-up insults. The Instagram page “dudes in the dm™” has plenty of examples of attempts like that.
This page is run by model Paige Woolen. On her account, she likes to post photos in bikinis and lingerie as it makes her feel empowered. Since she started posting these pictures, many people, mostly dudes, hence the account’s name, started messaging her.
While some of the messages were pretty sweet and encouraging or a little funny, others were appalling. So, sometimes Paige answers them and then shares them on the aforementioned account. This way, she raises awareness of how harsh and gross people can be in private messages. She says she shouldn’t be harassed because she posts a photo in a bikini.
It's sad, but quite a lot of men indeed view bikini photos as an invitation, when usually it isn’t. Just as Paige said, she posts them to feel empowered. Other women want to express themselves or boast about their bodies or the fact that they’re on vacation. Even if they post these photos for attention, it doesn’t mean they deserve to be harassed publicly or privately.
So, it’s fun to see the harassers put in their place. That’s why accounts like “dudes in the dm™” are so successful. This one currently has over 78K followers.
Granted, the last post appeared almost a year ago, so the number of followers might not be growing as fast, but it’s still a pretty successful page. Maybe, with time, the account’s owner will start posting again, or perhaps she feels that the account has already served its purpose.
Have you ever received unwanted “slides” in your DMs? Share your story in the comments, and don’t forget to upvote the conversations you like most in this list.
