I recently watched a video (click) about social networking that said 1 in 5 relationships meet online. This video (<- CLICK) also said 3 in 5 gay relationships meet online. The only people who throw me shade for online dating are my friends who are super into cats, and friends who are in long term loving relationships (go away). The following guidelines are mostly intended for my homosexual brethren, but flamboyance isn't a stranger to the estrogen party, so ladies take heed as well.
Here are some online dating "Don'ts" to consider before filling out your next online profile:
- Grammar: Aside from basic punctuation and spelling out all your words like an adult, there isn't much to be said here. I've become quite efficient at sifting through the haystack of boys to find my shiny needle. Are you so pressed for time that typing three letters for "you" instead of "u" is justifiable? At least pretend to be educated. Next.
- Exclaimation Points: Enthusiasm is great in real life, but not so much in a text box. Calm the fuck down. If you want to win you have to play the game and being over excited is not sexy.
- Less is more: All dating sites have the same opening salvo. The first thing they tell a new user is the more descriptive you are, the better luck you'll have finding a match. This is the great lie of online dating. While it is important to let your personality peak out, putting all your cards on the table is like the kiss of death to your profile's traffic. No one wants to read a paragraph outlining your stringent criteria that must be met by anyone who shows interest in messaging you. That list is the reason your genitals are akin to the sand dunes of the Sahara Dessert in the first place.
- Truncate your thoughts: If by some miracle of the cosmos you trick someone into messaging you, hold yourself together. When someone asks you how your day was, try and keep yourself from launching into an hourly play by play of your daily routine. Provide little nuggets of information so delicious and interesting that he can't help but respond with more questions. This initial conversation should look like a perfect match of tennis. Back and forth. The playing field must remain level.
- Don't let your Diva show: Whether or not you think you're above the rest of us looking for love on our computer screen, the fact is you aren't. So shut up. For example: "I mean I don't really know why I'm even on here. What is this box supposed to say? I probably won't check back often, I'm busy AF. Message me if you want, I'm a serious catch. My friends are as chic as I am and if you've never been inside Bergdorf's you'll never be inside me. If I don't respond it's because you're probably not on my level. Please go away. #SorryNotSorry" There is not a person on the internet who finds this charming, and you'll probably receive more than a few messages with the sole intention of knocking you down a peg or ten. So honey peel off your skinny jeans, sit down, and try writing something a little less offensive.
- Modern blind dates: Just because you have serious chemistry with someone online and you make each other ROFL and LMAO endlessly with your witty banter and self deprecating humor, does NOT mean you'll have chemistry IRL (in real life). Treat first dates as blind dates. You're starting from scratch. Keep in mind that when someone types "LMAO" their buttocks probably hasn't dispatched itself from their body due to the hilarity you've deployed from your keyboard. If you're lucky the joke elicited a smirk.
If you've followed my advice this far that means you've successfully navigated your way into a blossoming relationship (ha!). Congratulations. Comment and let me know how it feels to depart the island of misfit toys. I will leave you with one piece of advice though. Think before you text. There is an extreme difference between saying "Miss ya" and "I miss you." "Miss ya" is reserved for a friend who has gone away for a few months. Text me "I miss you." and then watch me metamorphose into a pile of jello.
