Dating In The Digital Age
Modern dating has new tools and new rules. There are dozens of digital dating apps and websites, every photo, comment, swipe or text is a fresh opportunity to judge and be judged. There are some obvious guidelines for good behavior and some less obvious guidelines.
The profile: Be brief, honest and keep your clothes on.
Do not write too much. Be yourself and don’t try to be generic, say something unique. When picking profile photos avoid group shots. Post current photos of yourself and not photos from different eras of your life. If you have to take self portraits avoid the ones in bathroom mirrors.
Getting offline: Be quick about it.
A major question is how many messages should I send before we meet for a date in the real world. The answer is right away. No one would say I’d rather message forever.
Vetting your date: Too much Googling can trip the creepy alarm.
It’s good to make sure your date is a real person, and that they aren’t wanted by the law, but keep the pre-date Internet stalking to a minimum. It’s not like you could ever bring up what you found.
On the date, stay offline.
Your date gets up from the table; you check your phone. The notifications from your dating apps are screaming from your lock screen. But resist the urge to peek. Save them for after the date.
Texting after the date: How soon is too soon?
There are a lot of rules out there people like to swear by. Wait three days after a date to send a message or wait a week so you do not look desperate. But if you had a good time tell them the next day. It shows you have interest in seeing that person again.
Make it official: Deactivate.
So you really hit it off with the man of your dreams. It may be time to shut down those dating accounts. Make sure you are both on the same page. Have a conversation about it.
