Online Dating Tips

In 2015, a survey showed that over 50% of Americans were single adults. That’s a pretty crazy statistic, isn’t it? When you consider the amount of people that you know, how many of them are single? For me, as a woman in my thirties, it’s not many. All of my friends are married, with the exception of maybe a handful of people. If you look at your Facebook news feed, how many people on there are single? Not a lot. It seems like everyone is getting married and having kids and here are the rest of us, you know, pretending our dogs are our children and wondering where the good guys are.

Hearing that half of the United States population consists of single adults is a pretty frightening statistic, especially when you look at the dwindling dating pool in your geographic area. Pickings are slim these days. As a single female, dating can be difficult. If you’ve entered the realm of what men consider to be too independent, it’s even more of a challenge. For this reason, many Americans –and not just women-have turned to online dating. However, this relatively new way of meeting people has pitfalls of its own.

It’s estimated that forty million people are using online dating and out of that forty million, over fifty percent of those people lie on their dating profiles. Yikes! So, if you stay off the internet and try to date that way, you’re encountering your fair share of weirdos and miscreants, but your chances are just as high trying to go about it a different way. What’s a single person to do?

Dos and Don’ts

Look, getting involved with anyone is a risky undertaking, whether it’s online or in person, but in order to be truly happy you have to take a chance, right? Yes, you have to take the chance but you don’t have to make yourself completely vulnerable. Here are some good dos and don’ts if you’re thinking of entering the online dating pool.

Do Be Honest –Don’t fall into the people who are lying on their profiles. That’s not a good idea. You wouldn’t appreciate finding out that someone with whom you shared a genuine interest was a liar, so don’t do it to other people. Be as honest as possible without laying all of your drama on the line. No one wants to hear your entire life story upon first meeting, or reading.

Don’t Say What You Think People Want to Hear –If you’re a female and you don’t understand the dynamics of any sporting event, then don’t say you like sports just because you think guys like sports. Don’t say you like hiking or camping if you can’t stand the outdoors. Express your interests and be real about it. This kind of goes hand in hand with being honest on your profile. No one wants to make a bowling date and find out that you have a fresh manicure and think wearing other people’s shoes is gross.

Do Include Recent Photos –Yourhigh school senior picture is not an appropriate photo unless you graduated within the last year. Don’t use a selfie either. That’s not flattering. Have a friend take a couple of photos, in your usual attire, and use them. If you’re a female who doesn’t typically wear a lot of makeup, don’t look like you just bought all of the things at the MAC counter.

Don’t Be Negative –A lot of people make their online dating profiles look more like a checklist for what they DON’T want. Guess what? That scares people off. Don’t create a list and be a jerk on your profile. Tell people what you want in a positive way. If a certain body type doesn’t work for you, say you prefer the opposite. If you want an active person, don’t start by saying you don’t want a lazy person.

Above all, when it comes to online dating, be safe and responsible. Don’t meet perfect strangers in dark parking lots in the middle of the night. Don’t provide someone with your home address right off the bat. Meet in a public place and use common sense. Perhaps the best advice, however? Go into it with an open mind. You never know what may happen.