shirtless man taking a selfie

What is a thirst trap?

Has someone ever posted a picture on the gram and you had to question whether you are still following the Ten Commandments?

You literally have to stop yourself from DMing them and confessing your feelings, because weuh.

Most people I know who post thirst traps are not really targeting everyone. They are likely sending a message to someone in particular—the rest of us are just collateral damage.

So, what’s a thirst trap? Simple—a provocative image intended to elicit compliments, high praise, or words of obsessive lust (or entice you sexually).

What qualifies as a thirst trap?

Anything from ‘dick prints, boxer dick prints, shower selfies, mirror dick print. Dick prints are the key.’ Other common thirst-trap genres include disembodied torsos (cleavage, muscular abdominals, perky pecs, particularly striking backs), beautiful faces, or even just a person stroking a real-life cat in bed while looking at the camera.

And in turn, followers respond by commenting with varying displays of desperation: for example, ‘Model status,’ ‘Wifey,’ ‘Goddess,’ ‘Marry me,’ ‘Love me,’ ‘Step on me,’ all the way to the graphically pleading ‘Sit on my face!’

Simply put, a thirst trap says, see what you can get but imagine what you can have. If you ask me, the most salacious, and I never use that word often, is on a certain lady’s Instagram. Her name starts with a K.

Now, let’s be real here. Is it the finest piece of Instagram pics I’ve ever seen? No. Does she fill me with warm, fuzzy (yet slightly confusing) feelings? Uh …yes. Will I be scrolling through her IG whenever I get bored? Without a doubt.

K. is not alone, there are many others. It’s nearly impossible to go through their Instagram without uttering at least one impressed ‘damn!’

Did you all see what Trevor Ombija did the other day? The six-pack, well-toned body got ladies from all walks of life flood his comments section. I am sure he got a love of love in his DMs.  

Thirst traps welcome the thirstiest comments from the thirstiest of all the thirsty people—it’s as if they are giving their followers gallons of saltwater to chug.

The key to a good thirst trap—and by no way am I encouraging you to try—is that you have to show you are interested but yet you are not. It’s like playing Kalongolongo, you can be a mama without being a mama.

While it is well within your rights to post third traps, be careful not to get addicted to the superficial self-pleasure and base your worth on Instagram likes and Facebook comments, and retweets.

Have you ever posted a thirst trap on your social media? If not, what are your views about thirst traps?

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