It’s a whole new world out there, and online dating is more popular than ever. If you’re going to bars or get-togethers to meet significant others, you’re missing out on a huge sea of potential mates just waiting for you to scroll through to or click on via Match, OKCupid, Tinder, or any other number of sites and apps. Just as moms and dads suck at texting and figuring out iPads, though, you might be a little off on how the whole thing works. There are rules when it comes to online dating. And if you’re not well-versed in them, you’re not going to get many messages back. Here are 9 things not to do when you’re online dating.
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Dude bro in bathroom mirror photo
Do not post a trashy selfie of you flexing and shirtless in your dirty bathroom mirror. It’s so early 2000s. If you wanna show off your bangin’ bod, go for the beach or lake photo.
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Post a ten-year-old photo
Lemme be frank. If you two end up meeting in person, which is what you want, she’s going to see whether you’re fat or balding. And if you weren’t clearly fat or balding in your photo, you were basically lying.
Met a guy online who I thought was really cool. A month into dating, he admitted he was actually two years older than his profile had said, as his birthday was coming up. When a girl hears you’ve lied about something like this, she’s got one of two reactions: 1. Oh, okay, not a big deal. Or 2. What else are you lying about? You’re much better off just being honest.
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Ask her to hang out right away
I’m talking within a few messages or even within a day. Unless you’re looking to bone. If you just want sex, she’ll get the message. If you want to actually date, you’re gonna sound way too desperate.
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Take forever to ask her out
She’s going to get bored of you, and the real reason you’re dating online is to meet in person.
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Complain about major life problems
Do not tell her how you just lost your job, how you still can’t get over your ex, or how stressed you are about money. She does not want to hear about how rough your week or year was. You should be honest, but you shouldn’t be excessively heavy at the very beginning. Emotional instability and insecurity are unattractive.
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Talk only about yourself
You want to seem cool, so you tell her all about how cool you are. It sounds stupid, but it’s a really common mistake. Ask her about herself at least two-thirds of the time. People love talking about themselves.
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Open with “Hi” or “What’s up?”
Some girls are going to be cool with this. Others aren’t going to give you the time of day, because it’s a damn boring way to start up a conversation. You don’t have to be massively interesting, but asking her a question about herself or remarking on a photo she posted is a step up.
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Dismiss online dating
Clearly you’re not too cool for online dating. You’re doing it. So don’t say you think it’s stupid or it hasn’t worked for you or you’d rather meet someone in person. Way to turn someone off.
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Mention your ex
Do not mention your ex in any form anywhere. It’s an immediate turn-off and shows you’re clearly not over her or emotionally available.
