Dylan Efron Shares His ‘Secret’ to Posting the Perfect Thirst Trap — and It’s Not What You’d Think (Exclusive)

Dylan Efron knows how to set the internet ablaze with thirst traps!

The Traitors season 3 star, 33, exclusively shared with PEOPLE what his “secret” is to doing Instagram thirst traps so well —  whether they’re of himself arching his back in the ocean, flexing his abs while tightrope walking, showering in a Speedo or stripping down at a hot spring.

“The secret’s just knowing that I’m in on the joke. I know I’m posting thirst traps and some people love it, some people hate it, but it’s fun at the end of the day,” Dylan, the younger brother of Zac Efron, 37, explains to PEOPLE at the 36th GLAAD Media Awards in Los Angeles on March 27.

“Instagram is about having fun. I can make fun of myself, so I love posting a thirst trap,” adds Dylan, who ran the New York City Marathon in 2024.

Dylan also expressed how he’s remaining humble amid earning heartthrob status during his breakthrough reality TV stint on The Traitors this year. 

“I’m so appreciative of it all, but I live a very simple life. I still walk my dog,” Dylan says of Booey, whom he adopted in 2021. “I still grocery shop, so my day-to-day hasn’t changed much, but I’m so grateful for the support.”

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Asked how he’s balancing his fame with his love life, Dylan emphasized that his longtime girlfriend Courtney King helps.

“That’s what keeps me grounded. My girlfriend’s so offline, so every conversation with her is just our realities and we’re not thinking about what’s online or DMs or in the news,” Dylan says of King, whom he’s known since their high school years. “It’s just what our dog’s going to do tonight.”

The pair are both reality TV fans — with Dylan’s love of Survivor eventually manifesting in an Instagram bromance with Survivor legend and fellow Traitors season 3 star “Boston Rob” Mariano.

Dylan, a 2013 graduate of California Polytechnic State University, previously told PEOPLE why he didn’t seek any advice from his movie star brother Zac before competing on The Traitors, which Dylan ended up co-winning.

“Zac's an actor. If I was going into acting for something, he would be the first one to give me some tips, but this is a different realm,” he explained.

“This is more towards social media, which I do,” Dylan continued. “So Zac showing his support was all I needed, but he's not going to give me tips because he has no idea how these shows work.”