“College Dating,” might as well be an oxymoron because usually dating in college is virtually non-existent. For most people in their early 20’s pursuing their undergraduate degree, relationships are usually short-lived and the “hook-up culture” is prevalent. So for the girls and guys looking for that special companion, a lot have turned to online dating. Whether it is a Facebook poke or a rose on Plenty of Fish, college students (and the older “students of life”), people are looking for love in a maze of pixels.
I won’t lie, I don’t online date. Believe it or not, I am in one of those rare monogamous relationships. But seeing a lot of my peers opening up their laptops to love, I think it’s important to remember these online dating tips:
- Don’t Send Out Your Personal Info: You think you “love” Mr. Horny4u6969 and you want to take it to the next level of your e-relationship by giving him your phone number. Giving out personal information online is still iffy, especially on dating sites because you don’t know who is trying to lure you into their bedroom (or heart). Get a Google Voice number or a Skype account to chat with potential flings so if they become crazy they won’t be tracing your number to come crawling in your window at night. The same goes for addresses and full names. If you don’t want to be easily tracked online, make sure you use a different username than your usual aliases.
- Use a Full Body Photo and a Face Photo: Acronyms like S.I.F (secret internet fatty) are around because people like to exaggerate and hide themselves online. A lot of people get “keyboard courage” because with the internet it’s easy to embellish yourself when nobody is there to confront you about your claims. If you’re looking for your future boyfriend, husband, or green-card ticket, being honest is the first step. Use a recent full body photograph, because if you’re using a picture of yourself 60 lbs. lighter from spring break during freshmen year of high school, when you meet face-to-face someone is going to be upset that they were misled on your appearance. And a face photo is always good; it verifies the legitimacy of your body photo and gives you an excuse to show off your beautiful eyes or freckled cheeks.
- Be Yourself: Most online dating sites (or at least I assume) have a section for you to talk about your hobbies, interests, and give a short bio about yourself. Be honest, and most importantly be yourself when making these profiles. For example, don’t say you love long walks on the beach if you hate the feeling of sand in your toes. And if you cannot spell worth a damn, don’t have someone spell check and fix your paragraph because when you start e-mailing back and forth with an intelligent vixen she’ll be immediately turned off. The point of these profiles is to naturally weed out those who you are incompatible with, don’t lure in the wrong people with false information.
- Always Meet in Public: I heard an urban legend the other day about a girl who went on spring break and came back with sores around her lips. Thinking it was an STD she went to the doctor, who asked if she hooked up with anyone and if she remembered their name. Turned out those sores were common with cannibals who ate flesh, and the man she hooked up with had murdered girls and ate their flesh. The moral of the story is you never know who exactly you’re meeting with, and that you shouldn’t go home with anyone until you know “what they’re cooking up in their kitchen.” If you do decide to break that rule and meet privately, always give a good friend the name and address of where you are going and an estimated time you’ll be back.
Online Dating is starting to become less of a taboo, and more people are starting to join websites like Match.com and eHarmony looking for their perfect mate. Although most members of these sites are on it for the right reasons, with such a high volume of users there will always be a bad apple in the bunch. Staying smart, playing it safe, and being honest are all ways to be a successful online dater. And if you really want to find a nice person to date, but can’t seem to log out of your WoW session, pop on over to DateCraft and find the Paladin of your dreams – You’re welcome.
