There is just so much that I realized while being in online dating apps and talking to different kinds of people. These can really shape you to become someone who respects not only other people but also himself/ herself.
7 DON’Ts for Online Dating
Here are a few key tips or 7 Dont’s I picked up during the course of my Online Dating Journey (Gay Online Dating: A Tell-All for the Hopeless and Introverted):
I will be using non-binary pronouns “they/them/their” throughout the blog because online dating apps, and love is for everyone: LGBTQIA+, the straight girls and fine, the straight guys too.
1. DON’T SWIPE TOO FAST
Learn how to slow down and try to look at the profile in the app longer. Take time to read their description to get a sense of who you have a chance of matching up with. Are they someone you might actually end up liking? Do they sound like someone you’ll enjoy talking to?[
2. DON’T JUDGE SOLELY ON LOOKS
Standards are bullsh*t. There are some very attractive people in dating apps, but those are mostly Instagram famous heartthrobs everybody is crazy for. Gym rats will always go for other gym rats. Get over it. A person is so more than their looks. Personally, I’m more fascinated by how a guy speaks his mind out and what we share in common than a sexual fantasy I can just store at the back of my head.
3. DON’T BE LAZY WITH YOUR REPLIES
Put in effort on the words you say. A fun tip: throw away asking mundane questions and try to start up the conversation saying the most random things. Then, it can get exciting! Try to put in some effort in your replies because one-word sentences is a red flag. It says that you’re lazy or unterested. Talk about anything that pops into your head and open up the conversation to the extent that anything is allowed. If you end up in a place where things are so light, easy and comfortable? You may have just made a friend or possibly something more.
4. DON’T GIVE EVERYTHING AWAY ALL AT ONCE
I also learned not to give too much of myself away to people, too soon. It’s really just a waste to share personal stories and details of your life to someone who will not even be there in the next hour. Keep it light. Don’t put any pressure on yourself or any of the people you’re talking to. Simply, go with the flow.
5. DON’T BE A JERK LIKE SOME
Please don’t stick to the status quo of these dating apps. The culture of lies, flattery, and false promises is evident. Learn to never fall for such forms of deceit. It’s entertaining for some people to take up the challenge of making someone fall for them and then leave the next second they achieved their goal. They leave a trail of broken hearts and don’t feel like they carried the responsibility of cleaning them up.
6. DON’T LIE
Be kind. Stick with the truth and try to say it in a kind and respectable manner. Don’t be rude in thinking that you’re too good for a person or they’re too good for you. I particularly was still a nice guy, responding to anyone who’s decent enough to say “Hi” or reply because that person might actually be really interesting when you get to know more about them later on.
But if you have gotten to know a person already to a point where you’re sure you have nothing in common, let them down gently. It is not good to keep someone’s hopes up longer when you know that there’s nothing nor will ever be anything there for the two of you.
7. DON’T HAVE ANY EXPECTATIONS
Expectation is something that is prohibited inside these dating apps. You should only carry your openness and see where it takes you. Don’t imagine an entire future with someone you could lose at literally any moment. That’s not the same as giving up, but more like keeping your feelings at bay.
You may start to realize how much of a game Tinder or Bumble truly is. I lost enough times to just know to prioritize myself first. Because at the end, you’re only left with yourself and you have to be okay.
Try it our yourself!
Honestly, I wasn’t looking for love, a fling or a serious relationship in those dating apps anymore. I only wanted someone to talk to because the silence was so deafening. Attention became a drug and I was so scared of no one noticing me, of feeling all alone again. And that just wasn’t right anymore.
So yeah maybe these 7 DON’Ts may not be a definitely approach to you actually landing your soul mate or the love of your life. But, it will aid as you navigate through your own journey in Online Dating.
My own experience is definitely going to be different from yours and how exciting is that? The only way for you to find out what it’s like is to actually try. Go ahead. You can do better than you think!
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