With the emergence and the prevalence of social apps that connect us to the people and the world around us, much has changed on how we meet new people. But how does this affect the way people date? Well consider the following list…
7. Computer Love.
To be sure, there are quite a number of us that will suffer from, what I like to call, Device Detachment Syndrome (DDS), if we are parted from our dear OS’s for too long. But even that disorder has an extreme. This is when one cannot separate the joy that comes from USING a computer to discover something or someone new and the joy that, that new someone brings. Which can make the most wittiest of typists behind a keyboard seem like the Rain Man in person. Beware, if he or she is in your presence and only lights up when their device does, they may have extreme DDS.
6. Know Thy Selfie.
Make no mistake, selfies have been around since way before the digital camera. However, the latter has just made it far more easier to take one…or a hundred. If you feel beautiful, who says you can’t capture the moment. But like everything else, moderation is key. Coming across the page of a potential love interest, whose feed is littered with selfies, can help one determine whether someone is just a little too vain for your personal comfort. But hey, its harder to notice that sort of thing from watching someone from across a bar. Caution: If he or she is more interested in finding appropriate lighting for their camera then engaging in more than superficial conversation you may want to flee in the other direction. Unless you like that sort of thing.
5. Filter Me Badd.
Certainly the dark lighting of clubs and lounges has misled many a man and woman, yet in my opinion the use of filters has become far more deceptive. A little sephia there and a little dreamscape here and Miss Piggy can end up looking like Ingrid Bergman from Casablanca. Caution: If their bio states that they are Afro-Caribbean, yet the pictures you receive make them look more Indo-European, you may want to investigate that further before a first date.
4. Little PhotoShop of Horrors.
Arguably the most egregious of offences, using Photoshop on one’s pictures without self-restraint, perpetuates one of societies most hated pet peeves. That of the old bait and switch. At least on a blind date what you see is what you get. But with Photoshop, you may see a crossfitting-bikini-pro-model but end up getting a wet gremlin. Caution: If the pictures seem too good to be true they probably are. Probably, but not always.
3. Gone with the Fling.
So you’ve made it to the 1st date and they have surpassed your online dating faux pas. But just like traditional methods of dating, this point forward is usually a gamble. So far, that part of dating remains the same. Just beware a wandering eye, conversations that center on the sexual despite your best efforts, and the constant pressure to indulge in more alcohol can all be signs that this date may not last beyond a night.
2. Reservoir Blogs.
So it ended rather badly. No surprise there, like we said, it can be a gamble. But little did you know, she actually runs a blog. A blog about what you may ask? Yep you guessed! A blog about men and all of their deceitful, dog like ways. And guess who is the new entry for her few thousand followers to read about? Right again! Beware: If she seems rather easily disappointed and seems to update statuses on her phone frequently, your love life may be in for a dramatic turn of events. If you suspect that that is so, buy her a bottle of wine, excuse yourself, and tell her you have to see your mum who has just been admitted into the hospital.
1. Do the Like Thing.
It is quite unfortunate that the amount of likes we receive online has now become sort of a meter to measure our self esteem. However, this is also a pretty accurate way to gauge someone’s self confidence. It could be said that if someone continues to posts pictures although not getting very many likes on most of them, they are more well adjusted and possesses more confidence. Beware however, if someone’s posts seem to become more and more provocative and shocking, they could be doing it just for the likes. Which, some might certainly suggest, could be their method of compensating for their lack of self esteem. And how can you love someone who doesn’t love themself?
And there you have it, the paradigm shift from traditional dating to online dating. Tread as you wish but do so at your own risk.
By Lex Young
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