Thoughts on Online Dating

Oh the perils of online dating... 

There are so many aspects to consider: your profile picture, dating profile and your matches. Essentially... who wins in this first impression game? Personally I've only dabbled in the basic Tinder and OKCupid. At the moment, my heart isn't particularly in the online dating scene. Though I must admit, I do re-download for the occasional ego boost or slight alleviation of my boredom. But here are just some personal thoughts on online dating...

Being terribly unphotogenic, I've never been able to create a profile very reflective of my appearance. And when I do, after an appearance change (cutting hair, getting braces, etc.) I always had to find new pictures... urgh. Another annoying part about uploading photos was that there's always that need to upload more than one. However, this is more of a personal opinion as I feel if there's only one photo uploaded, it reflects that the person actually looks worse in real life. I mean since there's only one good photo of him/her? EXTREMELY SUPERFICIAL (I know...) but hey, it's a looks-driven site. What to do?

Next is the bio segment. This part is especially tricky. There's a fine line between that aura of mystery and just plain boring. How do I accurately express 'WHO AM I' in words? Additionally, another taxing part is not knowing what to write. Your bio needs to be able to capture your readers attention, to make them feel that I want to know him/her more. And usually without the right personality, one would fall pretty flat in attracting this sort of attention. Moreover, there are certain turn ons and offs, depending on which type you're looking for.

Lastly, there's the matching. The last hurdle to cross. The final turn to swerve. You've done you're part in creating your 'date-able self' and now it's time to see others. I have many male friends who just swipe right, to see what 'fish' they catch and choose from there. While others slowly pick and choose which girl/guy they want. Honestly, I'm leaning more towards the latter. Many people match based on looks, but I feel it's always important to analyse a profile. If you're looking at looks solely, that's easy. Just check if there's more than one picture, whether they put a lot of effort in looking good and whether they used a snapchat filter. YES, NO, NO? Well... then they are probably above average in real life. On the other hand, if you want a better glimpse into personality, that's pretty hard because it's up to the writer on how much they want you to know. But a general rule I've realised is that usually those who write more down-to-earth aspects about themselves, tend to be looking for something more serious. I know, it's common sense and everyone knows it. But I mean it. It's not just their likes or dislikes that they write about. It's whether they show their personality in what they write. Because we are more than what we like or dislike, we are our feelings, thoughts and ideas.

To encapsulate it all, dating is just a tricky thing. Whether it's online or real life. We will all find it difficult but in the end it all come down to one thing... LUCK. So hey, just play the game, have some fun but when you find the right person, they will be right in every way. And for now maybe it's just time to throw caution to the wind, try your luck, and you never know... you might just hit the jackpot.