Online dating can be tricky, especially when your first medium of communication is over messaging. Here are some online dating tips for men and women on how not to screw up your chances at landing that first date. Or if you’ve already made it to the first date, congratulations! Now to safely text your way to the second.
1. Being too forward
It’s a fact: Texting lacks the subtle nuances of face-to-face conversation. Unfortunately this causes two major problems: 1) What you text is up to the receiver’s interpretation and 2) You can’t read what the other person is thinking. It’s good to assert your feelings, but sometimes it can come off too strong over text, especially if you aren’t sure how the other person is feeling. Your best bet is to keep things light and easy until you meet.
No thanks bro
The concept of TMI, or “too much information” is very similar to that person who tweets about the extremely ordinary oatmeal they’re eating for breakfast or posts on Facebook about the number of snotty tears they’ve shed and ice cream cartons consumed in post-break up aftermath. When I ask you what you did today, I don’t need to know EVERYTHING you did. A little bit of mystery can add a lot.
Just No
Conversation is a two way street. Both parties need to give or take in order to keep things flowing naturally. Not asking questions can make you seem self-absorbed, disinterested, or socially awkward at the worst. For example, I like _____” not the best way to start a conversation. At least add a “how about you?” to open it up to the other person.
4. One Word Answers
If you’re looking to kill a conversation look no further than one-word answers! We use words like K, lol, yeah, or even the mundane yes or no when we have nothing better to say (Or when you’re not interested and trying to fade someone out). But, if you’re actually interested, it’s better to keep these words at a minimum. When you can’t think of anything else to say, try changing the subject or asking a question.
5. Not Replying… FOR DAYS
This one’s my favorite. Yes, people are busy and can’t reply to texts, but after a few days it just starts getting ridiculous. Imagine yourself in mid-conversation with a cute guy or girl, when suddenly they turn around and ignore you for the next two days or god knows when. In a nut shell it feels something like
this and that’s not fun. So, if you’re a caring, kind-hearted person who doesn’t want the girl or guy you like to experience emotional anguish/psychotic thoughts you should reply to texts on time or at least within a day.
Um…what?
Are you guilty of these texting mistakes? Make sure to check out our article on what it’s like
waiting for a text!
