Category: Love

Texting was introduced at the end of 1992, but it wouldn’t be until around a decade later that it became something that just about everybody was doing on their phones. Now, without the restraints of texting limits and the introduction of messaging apps, people are spending most of their days responding to texts or starting new conversations. This includes texting their significant others or potential love interests.

Texting has become an integral part of dating, and you want to make sure that you don’t mess it up when you start dating someone. There are a few unwritten rules that you should follow if you want to find success while dating. Here are five of those tips that will keep you looking good in the eyes of your new partner.

Don’t Bombard Them With Messages

After you first start seeing someone, it’s easy to get carried away trying to keep the conversation and chemistry alive. You might find yourself wanting to send your newfound love interest message after message, even before they’ve responded to your previous messages. It’s okay to feel excited and chatty, but remember to be considerate of the other person and keep your messages more condensed. Your new flame will love hearing their phone go off, knowing it’s you messaging them, but they likely don’t want notifications constantly going off and interrupting their day. 

Be Respectful and Patient

We all lead relatively busy lives, but there’s always time for love. With that said, we all deserve patience and understanding when we have personal priorities to tend to. Set and respect each others’ time and privacy, even when you’re texting. Nobody likes an anxious texter who relentlessly sends messages wondering what they’re up to and vying for attention. It’s normal to want attention and if you feel you’re not getting enough, bring it up to your new partner. Otherwise, understand that patience is key and they’ll respect you more when you respect their time. 

Don’t Be Clingy  

When you’re in love, you’ll feel enchanted by someone else’s presence and want to be around them all the time. If you’re not careful, your new love may lose interest and think you’re overly clingy. It’s important to set boundaries and maintain each others’ individuality to keep things fresh and comfortable. Set time to spend together and time to focus on your separate interests. Give them a heads-up when you’re doing your own thing, so they don’t think you’re ignoring them. Respect each other’s free time and learn to feel comfortable with each other at a distance. 

Initiate Conversation 

We’ve all been through the dilemma of how soon to text back and debating on whether to make the first move. Being unsure can result in a communication standoff, where neither of you take initiative to begin a conversation and take too long to reply. It’s the new age of dating and playing “follow the leader” is a pretty big turn-off for most. Rather than sit and wait for your new love interest to text you, start the conversation yourself and include topics that interest the both of you to keep things flowing. 

Keep it PG-13

This is probably the most crucial tip when you start texting your new love interest. Don’t get ahead of yourself and jump right into adult conversation. Save that for later when you’re both more comfortable and acquainted with one another. Unless you’re both purely interested in keeping it R-rated, of course. Stick to light flirting and getting to know each other better to start. Moving too quickly could scare away your new love interest and end in disaster. Being on the same page about your intentions and confirming your partner’s consent is so important, even through a text exchange. 

As online dating becomes more common with every passing year, people are turning to a slew of apps to help them find love or something more casual. Tinder has been at the forefront of the online dating movement, especially as the app quickly helps find people near the users. However, there have been plenty of horror stories about people meeting those that they found on Tinder in person. If you don’t want to be one of these horror stories, here are five tips for staying safe on the app.

Don’t feel pressured to give out your phone number 

Giving a potential love interest your phone number is somewhat old-fashioned and outdated. You’ve seen it in the movies, and you’ve heard about it in songs, because before smartphones and the Internet were as advanced as they are now, the only way to reach someone was through the mail, or by calling their landline. That’s not the case nowadays. There are plenty of discreet messaging apps you can use to communicate with someone off Tinder, or you can simply message them through Tinder. That way you keep your personal information secure, while still having various ways to keep in touch with one another. 

Meet in public places

This is a safety tip that can and should be used when you decide to meet up in person with someone you met online. No matter how comfortable you may feel, or how charming a suitor may be, meeting them in a crowded, public area is the safest method of doing so. Try to agree on meeting somewhere you’re both familiar with, take your own transportation, let others know where you’re going and who you’re going to see, and bring a form of protection to cover your bases.  

Don’t disclose where you work, or attend school

Aside from giving out your full name and home address, disclosing where you work, or attend school is likely the most dangerous bit of information you can divulge to strangers on the internet. The crazy thing is, Tinder gives you the option to display your occupation and place of education on your profile. They may seem like minor details to some, but information that personal can be dangerous if it falls into the wrong hands. It’s best to keep those details to yourself and keep those details pretty vague until you become close to your potential partner. 

Only swipe right on verified profiles 

Within the last few years, Tinder has added a really neat feature that verifies you’re talking to the person behind the profile. All you have to do is go to the verification check mark, take a picture of yourself in real-time, and the app works its magic to determine if the facial features match those of the pictures on the profile. Now, not everyone lacking their verification checkmark is a catfish, but it’s safe to say the profiles that have been verified are legitimate. 

Ask questions

You shouldn’t meet up with anyone from Tinder until you get to know them better, even if they seem OK on the surface. One of the best ways to stay safe is to keep engaging the other person in conversation, asking them questions about themselves along the way. There may be instances in which you’re able to spot a lie or a contradiction. If the person says that they’re tired of talking and answering questions and they want to fast forward into a meetup, that’s a big red flag. After all, you’re going to be talking in-person anyway, so why not keep the conversation online until you’ve ensured your safety?

With so many dating apps and websites out there, it can be overwhelming to choose which one to use. Each platform has its own unique features and user base, making it difficult to determine which one will best suit your needs. That’s why we’ve compiled a list of the top five dating apps and websites currently available, ranked based on factors such as user experience, success rates, and overall popularity. Whether you’re looking for a serious relationship or just a casual fling, our comprehensive guide will help you find the right platform to connect with like-minded individuals.

Tinder

For singles seeking more casual encounters, Tinder is one of the most popular dating apps. It allows users to quickly swipe through potential matches and message each other directly if interested. It’s easy to use, has loads of options, and is free to download.

OkCupid

This website offers users a comprehensive questionnaire so they can make sure they find the right match. Users fill out an extensive profile that helps with compatibility matching, and OkCupid also provides user feedback so you know how your dates are going. It’s an effective way to find someone who shares similar interests as you do.

Hinge

If you’d like a more curated experience, Hinge may be the perfect app for you. Hinge focuses on meaningful connections rather than simply putting people together based on looks or location—they even offer conversation starters to help break the ice! Plus, it’s free to join and gives you access to its powerful matching features.

Bumble

This service has women at its center with its female-friendly design that puts females in control when it comes to messaging first or moving conversations forward in any direction they please (with the exception of same-sex couples). Bumble can be viewed as a fun “safety net” where predators are held at bay by allowing only women to initiate conversations or move them forward in any way they desire.

Match

The granddaddy of all dating sites, Match has been around since 1995—which means it knows what it’s doing when it comes to connecting users for long-term relationships or just casual flings! The site caters primarily to heterosexuals but also includes members from same-sex relationships too; plus, it offers tons of extra information on dates such as relationship advice and success stories from real users worldwide!

Dating in the 90s was a simpler time with traditional courtship rituals and limited technology. Fast forward to the present day, and dating has undergone a radical transformation. From swiping right to online matchmaking, the dating game has evolved significantly. Today, we’ll explore five major ways dating has changed since the 90s.

1. Online Dating

In the 90s, online dating wasn’t even a thing. Now, many people turn to a variety of apps and websites to meet potential partners. With so many different options, it can be hard to know which one is right for you. But with all of these options comes convenience and ease—you don’t have to go out to find someone; they could be right at your fingertips!

2. Texting and Social Media

Texting was just beginning to take off in the early 2000s, but now it’s almost impossible to imagine life without it. Texting makes it easier for people to stay in touch—and therefore stay connected—without having to actually talk on the phone or meet up in person. Plus, social media provides a platform for people to get to know each other before deciding if they want to take things further and meet up in person.

3. Ghosting

Ghosting didn’t really start becoming popular until around the 2010s when texting became more widespread as a form of communication between potential dates. Ghosting is when someone suddenly stops replying without explanation or any sort of closure for their partner, leaving them feeling confused and hurt and questioning what happened. Needless to say, this isn’t exactly respectful behavior and should be avoided at all costs!

4. Long Distance Relationships

The invention of Skype has made long-distance relationships way easier than they used to be back in the 90s when couples would have to keep track of different time zones just so they could call each other on the phone! Nowadays with free video calling apps like Facetime and Zoom, it’s easier than ever for couples who live far apart from one another to still maintain a connection that feels real despite the distance between them.

5 Sex Before Marriage Is More Acceptable

In the 90s, there was much more stigma surrounding premarital sex than there is today with contraceptive technology being more accessible than before as well as greater acceptance among younger generations about casual sex outside of marriage or committed relationships. This doesn’t mean that everyone is engaging in premarital sex —it simply means that attitudes about sexuality have shifted over time with regard to what is considered “normal” or acceptable behavior by society at large

These days, meeting potential lovers online through the use of dating apps is becoming the norm. Apps like Hinge, Badoo, Plenty of Fish, and the ever-so-popular Tinder, are used by people of all shapes, sizes, and walks of life to seek dates, hookups, loving relationships, and even friendships on occasion. There’s something for everyone within the wide selection of dating apps, some are even targeted toward a specific lifestyle, body type, or ethnicity.  

Probably the most popular and commonly used in the dating app universe is Tinder. A go-to for young adults looking to casually spice things up, meet new people, or maybe find true love. 

With the growing convenience of online dating, how can you stay safe and know who you’re talking to is really who they say they are? There’s no surefire way to know someone is telling the absolute truth about themselves. Tinder has made some strides over the past few years in keeping users feeling safer. Tinder’s profile verification is optional, but if you choose to, you are required to take a live picture of yourself to upload into their system where it’s checked to ensure the pictures on your profile are actually yours. Those verified will receive a blue check mark displayed on their profile so everyone knows they’re properly verified. So at the very least, you’ll know which profiles are authentic.

Tinder also gives its users some safety tips and access to their safety center that provides tools, resources, and information on how to keep yourself safe online and when planning an in-person meeting. 

If that’s not enough and you want to go the extra mile to have some idea of what you’re getting into, you can put your sleuth skills to the test with a bit of research. It’s surprising what kind of information you can pull up on somebody with just a name and general location. You’ll find the juiciest info through Facebook, Google, and even certain sites you can pay to gain access to criminal records and other more personal details that may sway your decision on meeting your potential beau. 

Just like most things in life, there are some downsides to extensively researching your matches. You’re essentially judging a book by its cover, without any real information on any questionable stuff you may dig up. 

You could get the wrong idea about someone who is actually worth your time. It can also make things quite awkward if you bring up questions about their personal life that they didn’t divulge directly to you. It might make the other person see you as a paranoid person, who isn’t willing to build the trust needed for them to open up to you about their personal life before diving straight into researching their information. 

Some of the top experts in dating say that at least taking a surface-level peak shouldn’t be too harmful. Checking sites like LinkedIn will let you know what someone does for a living. This could end up exposing your potential date if they lied about their job, or confirm what they said before. The best thing to do is check the ‘about’ section on social media profiles like Facebook to get some of the basic details.

Even things like relationship status and where they’re from will appear in this section. When we make small-talk with potential dates, these are usually the first things that come up, and you want to make sure that everything checks out. If it doesn’t, that’s a huge red flag and could help you dodge serious trouble.

In the end, it’s up to you to take the safety measures you feel are necessary. If you ever get a weird feeling from someone, it might be worth it to do some research and potentially dodge a bullet. Don’t sweat it and have fun. 

There are plenty of dating apps available for smartphones around the world, but one that typically results in the most actual relationships is Bumble, which has well over 40 million active users around the world. Bumble is a bit different than apps like Tinder as a woman who matches with someone has to be the one that sends the first message and the users are typically looking for serious relationships instead of something more “casual.”

Whether you’re new to the dating scene and want to give Bumble a try or have been using the app and want to get more matches, making some tweaks to your profile is a great place to start. Here are five tips for improving your Bumble profile that will lead to you getting more matches, messages, and even dates, in the near future.

1. Fill Out Your ‘About Me’ Section and Prompts

There’s nothing worse than coming across a bland and empty dating profile. Even if they’re cute, how are you supposed to know if they’re worth pursuing unless they catch your eye with an interesting profile containing at least a few details about them? If you want to get noticed more on Bumble, one surefire way is to fill out that bio, update it as needed, and fill out the prompts on your profile with intriguing and humorous responses. A pretty face can get you far, but you won’t get dates if you don’t put in the proper effort. 

2. Verify Your Profile

Catfishing unassuming hopeless romantics online isn’t as easy as it once was. There are plenty of ways to properly verify the person you’re talking to online is who they say they are. At least for the most part. Verifying your dating profile is an instant game changer and will help you gain more attention. People aren’t nearly as hesitant to communicate with verified profiles as they are with those unverified ones. It helps to ensure some form of early trust. Although, you should always stay vigilant and never trust someone upfront, and always meet in a public place until you really know who you’re dealing with. 

3. Post a Variety of Unfiltered Pictures

Filters are cute and you can use them if you please, but dating sites have begun cracking down on the use of heavily filtered pictures due to the difference in how someone looks online and in person. Besides, when searching for a lover, you really want them to see the real you and not a facade. It’s far better to be real with someone upfront and they’ll appreciate it more than you think. So try posting a variety of unedited pictures, full body pictures, candid shots, and whatever pictures make you feel good about yourself. 

4. Message First (For the Ladies)

One crucial tip for getting your profile to stick out is by messaging first. It’s usually a stand-off to see who will message first, so it’s a good idea to rip off the bandaid and be the first to reach out. It will help your profile stand out in a sea of people trying to impress the person you’re interested in. The recipient is sure to appreciate the welcome change of pace in their inbox. 

5. Don’t Be Hateful

Skimming through dating profiles, you end up seeing a lot of different people with a lot of different opinions. It’s okay to be passionate and put your truest self out there, just keep in mind how your words come off to others. Most people looking for a relationship won’t want to swipe right on someone who is ignorant, or offensive. Be kind to those you interact with on the dating app, don’t post hateful stuff in your bio, and keep a level of self-awareness. You don’t have to be everyone’s cup of tea, as long as you’re respectful. It will undoubtedly attract more people to your profile. 

What are you going to do on your next date? See a movie? Go to a restaurant or bar? Not that there’s anything wrong with those ideas, but wouldn’t it be nice to mix things up?

Here are 10 unique date ideas that put new life into an existing relationship or get a budding one off to an intriguing start.

1. Take a photo walk. Grab your smartphones or cameras and walk through an interesting part of town. Snap some pics of flowers, animasl, buildings – whatever grabs your interest. Create a digital collage of your date. Post it if you like to share.
2. Attend a small-town festival. Every town has them, and every summer weekend there’s one not far from you. Watch the parade, taste the local food, enjoy games and demos in the park, listen to the bands. Drink in the flavor of the place.
3. Be a tourist in your own home town. Take a bus tour, a Segway tour or a narrated walk through historical buildings. Visit the gallery, museum or other point of interest that you like to show out-of-town visitors.
4. Have a cookout together in a local park. Plan a menu, shop for ingredients and fire up the charcoal on a public grill. Enjoy some tunes on your phone and Bluetooth speaker. Don’t forget the marshmallows!
5. Volunteer together. Enjoy each other’s company and do some good at the same time. The opportunities are endless: soup kitchen, park or roadside cleanup, meals on wheels, lifting and stocking at the local food shelf. Maybe it will be a one-time thing, but it could be a source of satisfaction for one or both of you for years to come.
6. Test drive cars. Maybe one of you is in the market, but if not, so what! Certainly you’ve been curious about how the latest sporty car, SUV or luxury pickup handles. Pick your persona for the occasion: you can act like a couple looking for a car together or an advice-giver helping out a friend.
7. Read a book in a special spot. If it’s a nice day, you can pick a quiet corner of a park, or you might settle in at a coffee shop. You can each bring your own material and read mostly silently, occasionally commenting on what you’ve noted. Or if the setting seems right, one of you might read aloud.
8. People watch. Pick a bench in a park, or even watch from your car in the parking lot. From a car you can comment without offending anyone. Couples are the most fun to observe. What do they see in one another? In what ways are they like you?
9. Attend a workshop at a building supply store. Many conduct classes and teach you how to build a deck, wallpaper or replace the trap under your sink. Enjoy each other’s company and learn something new.
10. Do yoga in the park. Many communities offer class sessions. If you’re self-conscious, take a class in a gym together.