Things to keep in mind before joining a dating app

Navigating through life has only gotten easier since the tech world decided to grant every need from quick groceries to long-term partners. And if you’ve grown up watching romcoms that have blinded your romantic desires, then you might wanna slow that train down because modern problems require modern solutions. One such trending (and effective to an extent) solution has been the surge of dating apps. From a variety to choose from, most of these apps cater to the same people looking for the same things like love, sex, friendship and even more. 

Before you introduce yourself to the multiverse of virtual dating, you might want to be equipped to face the bittersweet realities of the swiping culture. Firstly, it’s very important to know your profile on these find-your-match apps does not decide your fate based on certain personality criteria or based on the number of right swipes. Similarly, there are some key aspects that you could look into before you break your dating app virginity, thank us later! 

Know what you want

As generic as this may seem, it often is the starting point of where things go wrong. You might be absolutely clear about what you want, who you want, how much you want and for how long… but none of that will come will make sense if it’s a checklist that persists only in your mind. In order to be out there, your true wants should reflect in your choices. 

Know that ghosts are real
 

And as scary as it sounds, being ghosted leaves a lasting effect. They suddenly stop messaging the other person without offering a valid explanation. If it ever happens to you during your online dating journey, you have our sympathies. Reach out to a girlfriend for a shoulder because there’s no nice way of saying this but on dating apps, it happens to (almost) everyone. 

Be aware of catfishes 

A catfish isn’t just a fish with whiskers (we wish). It’s a dated term for a person who pretends to be someone else online. This phenomenon has existed on the internet for decades and it's not only a dating app problem. A catfish usually uses fake photos, and sometimes a false persona, to find friends or romantic partners on the internet, or worse take advantage of others. Go with your gut instincts and withdraw from any contact as soon as you feel like the person you’re texting is sus. 

Not all matches are made in heaven

It's healthy to have expectations from people you potentially see yourself with. But it's never too much to be extra sure. Matching on the basis of your commonalities is almost never enough. So, don't hesitate to ask what your matches are looking for while being extremely clear about what you are seeking on this dating app. It doesn’t need to sound demanding, as long as it sounds desiring. And hopefully, then you will meet your own match!

Keep (some) things private

Realistically speaking, most people on dating apps white-lie and that’s completely fine. In order to create an impression or to seek attention, you can always use a play of words. But no matter how invested you get into your virtual relationship, be firm about some boundaries that you won't cross till you meet them IRL. It could be the basics of not exchanging nudes to even discussing life’s personal details like where you live or a detailed breakdown of your daily routine. Save this for when you build a trustworthy concrete bond with them.
 
Be your real self
 

A common mistake many people make while online dating is outright inventing new personas when creating dating their profiles. Romanticising life and the need to fit in, is a default setting across social media platforms but might not be as apt on a dating app. For example, if you've never gone hiking in your life, don't say you enjoy it simply because it seems like a common hobby among profiles. Unless you plan to keep your relationships entirely virtual, remember that you will eventually meet the people you're talking to and then your vibe shouldn’t seem like a hoax. This doesn’t mean you unfilter every tiny detail about yourself but definitely project the ones that make collate your virtual identity in one read and one glance.