Sara Klimek

Tinder.  Bumble.  Christian Mingle.  No matter what your favorite is, anyone that uses an online dating site can admit that creating a profile that reflects you while getting the most matches is difficult to say the least.  Millenials have found an appreciation for the connections they make across the web, and certain apps can allow you to see who’s around you.  Many of these services allow you to limit the distance, gender, and age of the people you want to see so that you are more likely to connect with them.

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It’s not all fun and games though.  If your mind screams ‘stranger danger,’ you would be right.  There are indeed hidden harms to using a dating site.  You don’t really know the people that you match with, and it can become all the more dangerous when you decide to go on a date with someone you don’t know.

There are many ways to better your online-dating experience both in terms of enjoyment and safety.  After all, you want to find someone who wants more than just a picture of you standing on a sandy beach.  Here are some of my best tips for improving your app-dating experience:

1) Be realistic about how far you’re willing to travel to meet someone.

The end goal of many Tinder-flings is to meet in person.  If you’re just looking for someone new to chat with, you can open up your range.  But if you’re down to meet up with someone try to set a distance limit (e.g. 10mi radius).

2) Include at least one picture of you, alone.

It can be a selfie, or it can be taken by one of you friends.  This gives your potential matches the ability to see what you look like, rather than trying to guess who you are out of a group picture.

3) Change up your pictures often.

I strongly advise against posting a picture from your high school graduation on your dating profile when you’re 28.  Show the world what cool stuff you’ve done, whether it’s painting, riding an elephant, or soaking in the sunshine.  Make sure you’re not doing anything illegal in your pictures either, and remember for some people, drinking and smoking may look distasteful.

4) Keep your bio short and sweet.

Not many people have the time to read a novel about your hobbies or a funny story about something that happened when you were younger.  You can include your class year, your job, or a cool fact about your hometown.  This will help guide the messaging process along as well.

5) Respond to messages promptly.

It’s been 3 days and John the banker hasn’t responded to your messages.  While this feeling may be sad, especially if you really fancied the time that he went cliff-diving in Barbados, you may want to just move on. If you keep yourself pent-up about one match, it will prevent you from looking for other potential candidates.  One awesome thing about Tinder is that you can have several conversations at one time with different people!

6) ‘Hi’ or ‘Hello’ aren’t memorable greetings.

Remember - this is the first time you are ‘meeting’ someone!  Although it may not be face-to-face, making a good impression is always important.  You can ask them a question about one of their pictures, or pull out one of your cheesiest pickup lines.

7) Know that not everyone may be for you, nor has the same expectations as you do.

Tinder has historically been associated with hook-up culture, meaning that many people do not find long-lasting relationships using its services.  However, that doesn’t mean that it can’t help you meet new friends and partners.  Embrace the awkwardness of it all and don’t be afraid to be honest to them and to yourself.

Dating doesn’t always have to be tedious thanks to the internet.  Apps like Tinder and Bumble are helping you get out and meet new potential partners and friends.  And maybe saying ‘we met on Tinder’ may actually be a good thing.

 

Sara is an editorial intern at bSmart and a student at the University of Vermont. She plans to go to law school upon graduation.

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