Photo Credit: Josh Willink, www.pexels.com

The changes in recent years to the dating arena have moved swiftly due to the advent of online dating. It’s little wonder that singletons are left bewildered when trying to navigate these sometimes treacherous waters.

Below are some useful pointers to bear in mind when trying to find your ideal partner.

Learn the Lingo

• Make sure you are up to date on all the latest dating lingo. This list will also give you an idea of some of the terminology to look out for.
• Swiping Left: Essentially dismissing a potential date in seconds.
• Cookie-jarring: Keeping someone on the back burner in case it all falls through with your current partner.
• Breadcrumbing: Keeping a prospective date on hold with noncommittal messages from time to time.
• Stashing: When you don’t introduce someone you’re dating to any of your friends and family or introduce them on social media, hence leaving your options open to meeting someone else.
• Ghosting: Disappearing out of someone’s life completely and without warning.
• Benching: Leaving a date on the ‘bench’ as a reserve or back up option in case nothing better comes along.
• Orbiting: Staying in someone’s life in a noncommittal way, popping up on social media, for example.
• Catch and release: Exactly as it sounds, putting in the effort to lure someone into dating, only to lose interest and move to the next target once the chase is over.
• Catfishing: Making up (sometimes multiple) personas in order to lure someone into a relationship by pretending to be someone else.
• Kittenfishing: Putting an unrealistic photo on your dating app or presenting yourself in an unrealistic way. For example, lying about your job, age and hobbies.

Find the Right Dating Site 

A dating site designed for casual hookups might leave you wanting more. Different dating sites exist to meet individual needs, and it’s worth doing your due diligence to avoid wasting your time. If, for example, you were a single man looking for an older women, head to Beyondages.com where they review all the best options for cougar relationships. There really is a dating site for everyone, so decide what your main priorities are and then work from there.

Be Realistic

Just because online dating gives you access to thousands of potential dates, it doesn’t mean that you should lose sight of what is realistic or even important in your search. Portray yourself in a realistic light to attract appropriate dates and keep in mind that ‘ideals’ are rarely realistic when you’re swiping for a potential partner. It’s easy to fall into the trap of regarding online dating as more of a video game than a viable way to make a real connection with someone.

Be Honest About What You Are Looking For

Don’t waste other people’s time and your own by pretending to be looking for something you’re not. If it’s a meaningful relationship you want, declare this at the start, and likewise, if you are after a casual hook up, don’t start leading dates down the garden path.

Modern dating is complex, with the plethora of choice can be a negative experience. However, if you take your time, stick to your values and go into each experience with a good attitude, then you will have mastered the dating scene in no time.