A recent study found that at least 50% of relationships will bud from online dating websites and apps by 2031. It’s almost like people are so into online dating that the conventional way of meeting dates is slowly ebbing away. But online dating is a two-edged sword. Dating apps could help you write the most amazing love story ever or they could easily turn into your worst nightmare. It is incumbent upon you to take necessary precaution to ensure you get value out of these apps. The following are 7 important rules to give you a safe and fun online dating experience.
1. Keep an open mind
It is not uncommon for people to cheat on their online profiles. In fact, most people you meet online are probably withholding some truth or worse still, lying about everything. Furthermore, even if the profile is somewhat authentic, a meet up may prove otherwise. Go in hoping to find a genuine soul mate but be ready for anything the app may throw at you.
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2. Dating apps are full of scammers
Of course, you have heard this over and over again but it’s no harm reinforcing the narrative, right? If you think otherwise, take a look at this study done in Britain: Dating scams in the United Kingdom hit a whopping 230,000 people annually leading to $60 billion in damages per year. This is no joke! Always stay alert and trust your instincts. When it’s finally time to meet, avoid meeting in isolated places and at late hours.
3. Sample a number of apps
Tinder is different from Match. The experience you get from the former may not be the same as the latter. One dating app may be comprehensive and safer than the other. Sample a few of them and be the judge of what fits your requirements.
4. Online dating is geared toward intimacy
Before you write this one off as a myth, consider this research that reveals that one-third of ladies who look for mates online have sex on their first date. While that may be okay for some people, it attracts a deadly drawback. It robs you of a long-lasting relationship because it generates an artificial sense of familiarity.
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5. Inactive members are the order of the day
Dating Apps love to boast about the number of members they have. In most instances, their members are inactive perhaps because they were lucky or unlucky in finding a soul mate. Do yourself a favor and skim through each profile you are interested in to ascertain whether it is active or not. There are quite a lot sex dating apps so make sure do a research first which one is more popular and has more active users. These apps tend to always increase the number of their users because it’s a multi-billion dollar industry, however not every dating app is successful.
6. Choosing isn’t as easy as it seems
You are surrounded by enough people who have gone on successful dates with people they met online. Perhaps you have even attended a few weddings and your expectation of meeting your spouse on the internet is at an all-time high. Sorry to burst your bubble but this is nothing but a fallacy. Finding a match is one thing, getting to know them is another. It takes time, hard work, commitment, emotional vulnerability and so much more.
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7. You’ll meet interesting people
If you can follow the aforementioned steps, you are on your way to meeting some of the most interesting people. It’s like opening a pond to the ocean. You will meet ex-convicts, kind-hearted souls, big businessmen, guys with deep-rooted cultural backgrounds and so on. Again, keep your mind open on this, and you will enjoy the ride.
Finally, you may be killing it in the online dating world with a good mastery of the rules above but ensure you pursue offline relationships as well. It may be outdated and too much work, but it still works.
