Ever used a dating app? Been on Tinder, Badoo, Bumble yet? Have you ever wondered whether you were wasting your time? I know, I am on those sites and sometimes I ponder what this is all about.
Dating apps have revolutionized dating. Long gone are the days when you would only date people from a close circle of friends, people that you met at work, or only people in your closest social circle.
Dating apps are here to stay.
Technology has revolutionized dating, but sometimes you can get frustrated while using these apps, and you may even wonder, “What’s the point?” “I might just as well log off this site.”
So, are they just a waste of time? Let’s delve into it.
First, What Are Your Goals?
Dating is all about goals. What are your goals? Are you looking for a long-term relationship but all your swipes and matches are with casual daters?
Are you looking for some fun but your swipes and matches are with folks looking for something more serious?
How about you pay attention to someone’s profile, not just their profile pic, huh? Take the time to go through someone’s bio. Check what they indicate that they’re looking for and then assess if you want the same before swiping right.
Then also check your profile. Please elaborate clearly on what it is that you are looking for in your profile.
That’ll get you a near-perfect match.
Wait, Are You Using The Right App?
Not all dating apps out there are the same. All of them are customized to target a specific niche.
They are all designed differently; some offer paid plans, while others offer more features than others, et cetera.
Are you willing to spend a little buck to get a better, possibly personalized dating experience from your online dating? I’d suggest you upgrade to a paid membership plan.
Also, take the time to find out the features offered in other apps. Contrast and compare and see what fits you best.
Some apps, like Bumble, offer a more customized and personalized experience specifically targeted to women. Just make sure that you are using the right app and that you are off to a good start.
Do You Give Up All Too Soon?
Quitters rarely succeed. This is not just in dating. It happens to apply to other aspects of life as well.
I know dating can sometimes be a hectic experience. It can be frustrating sometimes to not get that special someone that you think would be a great match for you.
Unfortunately, this often comes through meeting several people and going on multiple dates until you finally find that spark in your love life.
Unless you are really lucky, it’ll be hard to find someone with just one swipe.
Swipe right, get a match, and go on a date. If the date turns out to be a disaster… Go back, swipe right, get a match, and go on a date until you find who you are looking for.
5 Tips On How To Succeed With Online Dating
It’s All About Getting Your Profile Right
First impressions matter. Everywhere. In a dating app, your profile is the first impression, and first impressions are very important.
How tidy is your profile? Is it vague and hurriedly done? Does it really capture who you are?
Put in the time to make sure that you get your profile right. Put in as much detail as possible that you think portrays you in a positive light.
Also, be keen to point out what you are looking for in your profile to weed out time-wasters.
People love someone who is fun to be around. Make sure you put that out in your profile.
Don’ts: Don’t complain in your profile. Don’t put demands on your profile. People don’t want to be around someone that radiates negative energy.
Make Sure You Put That Killer Profile Picture
How good is your profile picture? Was it taken in the dead of night with awful lighting? Possibly in your garage room?
Please take the time to take a high-resolution, up-and-close picture of yourself. That’s the first impression that people get of you. Otherwise, just after a single glance, everyone will be swiping left.
Take a facial portrait. I’d recommend a smiling portrait to portray yourself with a positive vibe. Make sure that the background is insignificant because we want the focus to be on you, not your background.
Use a high-resolution camera. Take the pictures, possibly three of them, and then click upload.
That First Message Is Very Important
It’s all too important. Don’t just send a generic “Hi” message. That’s well… not interesting enough. The aim when you finally get a match is to make sure that your follow-up conversations with them are as interesting as they can be.
Otherwise, they will be bored pretty quickly and they will move on to the next profile. Try to be humorous and interesting.
Think of how many “his” you’ve received this week. One that is especially coming from a stranger will be… let’s say, not very interesting. Get your chatting game in order and you are off to a good start.
Figure Out How to Transition From The Internet To The Real World
For anything to materialize out of your dating app experience, you have to appreciate the strides made online and cement them in the real world.
You have to figure out how to transition from swiping right, getting a match, to getting a date.
One piece of advice? Don’t rush. Take things slowly. Take your time to get to know the other person. Know their proximity.
Ask them if they are interested in a meet-up. Organize and then go on a date. Make sure you put on your best and meet them.
However, please exercise maximum caution as it is not very rare to hear stories of criminals using these sites to cause harm to people.
Having said that, I must also say that most folks on these sites are people with good intentions, and everything should be okay. Just apply your common sense and don’t go on dates to places that seem to be strange and weird.
Your First Date Do’s And Don’ts
You swiped right, possibly you swiped right again, but didn’t get a match. You swipe again and again, and then finally you’ve got that match.
You feel that relief. What do you do?
You get to know them and then ask them for a date. They’ve agreed. What’s next? How should you carry yourself on your first date?
Relax. This is just a normal date. Just put out your best on your first date. Make sure that you are well-groomed and that you bring your A-game.
Pick a suitable location and make sure that you have fun.
Make sure that you have interesting conversations and reveal more about yourself than your date didn’t get to know from your online conversations. That’ll pleasantly surprise them.
What are the don’ts? Please don’t be inauthentic. Don’t use a fake profile picture and then when the real date comes, someone finds out they have fallen for a fake persona.
Don’t go for dates in weird places. Just don’t act weird.
Best Online Dating Sites
There are so many online dating sites to choose from, and you might have a hard time deciding which ones you should use.
I’d give you a wide variety to choose from. Obviously, Tinder is the most popular. There is also the much more customized app that gives women priority when it comes to swipes and matches, Bumble.
There is also Badoo, OkCupid, Match.com, and Grindr (which is specifically targeted for use by the LGBTQ community).
As you can see, these apps are often customized and targeted at a specific niche of users. They even offer special features according to what you are looking for.
Just take time to get to know them and select one or even two that you’d like to use.
The point is that there are so many great apps to choose from. Just go to your app store and search for any of these. Click “install,” set up your profile, and start swiping!
When to Delete Your Dating Apps
When is it time to say bye to online dating? Well… it depends. One of the biggest problems that these apps acknowledge that they face is the presence of several inactive users on their sites.
Save other online daters the hustle of swiping right to someone that’s not on the site any longer.
If your goals have been satisfied and you don’t see yourself in the dating pool any longer, then I’d say it’s time to delete your profile.
Also, have you decided that online dating is not for you and you’d like to meet people that you trust from your close social circle? Then uninstall the app.
It all depends on your goals and choices. It depends on how you want to approach your dating life.
Online dating gives you a wider pool to choose from. However, if you think that you have other options, then I’d also agree that it’s time.
Conclusion
I’d sum it up like this: I don’t think that dating apps are a waste of time. They are a waste of time if you have the wrong goals and you approach online dating the wrong way.
Reassess your online dating strategy and recalibrate it to make sure that you get a good online dating experience.
I have had a lot of fun using these dating apps. Maybe you could as well!
