With all of the dating websites and apps available, meeting other singles is easier than ever. And you can do it all while relaxing on your couch in your flannel pajamas. However, all of these options are causing people to experience dating fatigue. Going on bad date after bad date can leave you feeling jaded and hopeless about ever finding your ideal partner. You can become trapped in a never-ending cycle:
Here are some dating tips to help you break free from that cycle and have a successful first date with someone you met online:
Consider the dating site/app where you met: The dating site where you met the person will set the tone for your first date. Did you meet on a site geared toward people looking for long-term relationships (relationship site) or a site geared toward people looking for hook-ups (hook-up site)? You can tell what kind of site/app it is by what you had to do to create a profile. If creating a profile was quick and easy (you didn't have to pay anything or answer a few questions), you're probably on a site for people looking for quick and easy interactions. Consider the dating app Tinder. You only need to upload a photo and fill out basic demographic information (gender, age, email address) before you can begin swiping. However, creating a profile on a dating site will be more difficult. Take, for example, eHarmony. Before you can create an account, you must answer hundreds of questions, and you must pay to keep your profile active. People who devote so much time and effort to a profile are usually looking for a long-term relationship. If you are looking for a long-term relationship, you should concentrate your efforts on people who have profiles on a dating website. This will prevent you from wasting time on dates with people who are only looking for hook-ups. You're looking for a hook-up, aren't you? There is no condemnation. Searching for matches on hook-up sites will make things a lot easier for you.
Get to know the person before the date: When a first date with an online match fails, it is usually due to a mismatch between what the person appeared to be online and what the person is actually like in person. This can happen if the person's profile was not completely honest. Even if the profile is accurate, we have a tendency to idealize ourselves. This is when you are initially drawn to someone's profile and then persuade yourself that the two of you would be a perfect match.
Set up a quick date: Do something that can be done in a short amount of time, such as getting coffee or ice cream. If you're not feeling the person, you can cut the date short. Avoid long activities that can make you feel trapped, such as going to the movies, seeing a play, going to a concert, or eating at a fancy restaurant. This step can save you a significant amount of time, energy, and money. And if you end up really enjoying your date, you can always extend it by going to a different location.
Examine your date's profile: Let's face it, you're probably viewing at least 5 profiles per day and chatting with multiple different matches at the same time. By the time you get to that first in-person meeting, you may have forgotten what you liked so much about your date in the first place. Before you go on your date, review his or her profile to refresh your memory. Take note of your date's interests and things you share, and it will be easier to keep the conversation going and build chemistry.
Keep an open mind: Many people are so focused on spotting flaws on a first date that they fail to get to know the other person. Because you'll both be nervous, your date may not make a good first impression, and you may not feel instant chemistry. As I mentioned in step 2, chemistry develops as you get to know someone, so don't make hasty judgments.
Following these steps will keep you from becoming bored with dating and will lead to more first date success. Happy dating!