over the other.
If it wasn’t clear enough already, the main concept here is to get out of the house. Take risks, meet new people, and try new things. Take a different bus route. Go somewhere in your city you’ve never seen. You’ll feel refreshed and possibly meet someone worth asking out. Or you’ll have a story to tell when you do find a date. If you’re at home on Netflix, your only potential date is whoever is delivering your pizza (it’s an option).
Looking for Lovin’ //
Your Online Persona
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So, maybe you’re shy about meeting people in real life or you want to expand your dating pool further—that’s where online dating can help.
Online dating can be weird, disillusioning, and sometimes outright dangerous. You can’t really help that the Internet is full of anony-mous creeps. But it can also be exciting and fun if you approach it correctly. First things first, you need a profile.
All About You
Profile pic.
Smile in your profile picture (if you want to), it’ll make you seem approachable. And look into the camera, people feel more connected that way.
Evidence.
You can say you’re funny and interesting in your profile, but why should anyone believe you? Mention some personal anecdotes or facts that show what you’re claiming.
Buzzwords.
Don’t be something you’re not, but keep in mind how you de-scribe things and what you mention in your profile. Research shows words like “athlete,” “sushi,” and “driven” get a high attractiveness rating. (We don’t get the sushi part either.)
Accomplishments.
You don’t have to list your resume, but be confident about things you’ve done. People who mention college degrees get more hits.
Interests.
Show you’re passionate about something, then go broad and list other hobbies and activities you like. Be specific. Everyone “likes movies.” Do you like certain directors or genres? Mention those, too.
Your Online Persona
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Ideal mate.
Talk about what kind of person you’re looking for, but be gen-eral. Think about what you reflected on earlier. Long book conversations? Throw that in. Be honest about what kind of date would be fun for you.
Liar, liar.
Don’t lie about details like your height and weight. Or any-thing, really. You want to attract someone who likes you the way you are. Kick anyone else to the digital curb.
TMI.
Generally, keep your profile positive. Think of it as your first introduction at a party—you’re not dumping your soul out just yet. It doesn’t have to be all rainbows, either. If you have a dark sense of humor or some other quirk, try to get that across in your profile.
Extra hack:
Write your profile in a Word or another program where you can use spell check. Check your grammar. Being literate is cool.
Remember, you don’t have to include every detail about your life. And really, you shouldn’t. Keep personal information out for safety reasons. There’s plenty of time to get to know your dates. Balance making your profile the best version of you, but also an honest ver-sion. They’ll get to know the real you in due time.
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Looking for Lovin’ //
Grindr Your Grouper
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Different dating services offer different experiences, so here’s a quick rundown of how the best ones work:
Match.com
With 1.8 million users, Match.com offers a more serious dating pool since it’s primarily a paid service (the free version doesn’t offer as many tools). It works fairly traditionally – make a pro-file, check your matches, chat, and arrange a date.
OkCupid
As a free service, it’s pretty much open season on the kinds of people you can find on OkCupid. That can mean a few weirdoes and jerks who send unwelcome messages. But the site boasts a good matching algorithm,
