Dating Apps

Just how many dating apps are out there?

Too many. There are more dating apps than you can imagine. If you are thinking about signing up on one but don’t know what to expect, then I just may have some answers for you.

Free to message

There are several dating apps you can use that will allow you to message for free. For example, Badoo and POF are just a few.

This is an advantage to help you save money.

Of course, you can opt to buy a membership to have some upgraded features such as buying "tokens" to boost your profile popularity to stand out from the crowd.

The choice is up to you.

I have tried it both ways. I didn’t have any more dates with the paid options as I did with the free option.

Once you made that decision and start messaging back and forth, you’ll find that it can get a bit overwhelming

At first, you will feel very excited about having a guy message you and may want to talk about everything from your favorite hobbies to what you do for a living.

But as time goes on, you’ll start to feel like a broken record going over the same conversation starters again and again.

Unfortunately, you will also have to weed out a lot of messages of profiles that don’t meet your criteria.

Then you’ll finally find a guy that meets your criteria and get into messaging back and forth with him.

It might feel like it’s going nowhere.

For example, a guy will answer your question but won’t ask any follow-up questions.

Or the conversation might go into a ridiculous tangent such as his thoughts about how "all women use men to get what they want."

To cut down on your time, the best way to get to know someone is to try and get a date fast

I find that even though I may get along with a guy by text, I won’t get along with him after I meet him.

Don’t waste too much time messaging.

Everyone is different on the length of time to feel comfortable before meeting, but my best advice is to not message for more than a week.

That should be enough time to get to know the basics about that person.

If you feel they just want a "text buddy" and aren’t committing to meet, then I say ditch them and move on.

The point is, once you have gone out on a few first dates, you will begin to realize how precious your time is and to not waste it on excessive messaging.

Some guys can and will be very insistent and rude

Be prepared for this.

I would say not to take anything these men say personally.

You will find men who will be all into you but then ghost you without explanation.

Others will be asswipes and rude as hell, or you may find some that are nice but just not your cup of tea.

My tip to you is to have thick skin and know your self-worth to handle all the bullshit out there.

Pictures aren’t reality

Not all guys are up to date on their profile pictures.

You’ll meet him and he won’t look anything like his profile pics did.

You may feel deceived and shocked and want to run away!

I have slipped into a few of these.

I stuck it out, went through the date, and if they asked me if there will be a second date, I would tell them I’d let them know.

Later the next day, I’ll message them and say, “I didn’t feel any chemistry between us, good luck on your search.”

Lots of pervs out there

One thing is for sure, there are a lot of guys out there just looking for sex on all different types of dating apps.

They can be single or married. You’d be surprised! You’ll just have to weed them out as you go.

Some are career online daters

Once you’ve been on a dating app you’ll begin to notice which guys have been there a while.

It could be they just haven’t found "the one" or they get high off of messaging different women all the time.

It’s almost like a dopamine effect receiving messages every day for some people. Just don’t get caught up being "one of many" women that they message all the time if you can help it.

Dating apps will remind you to participate or "swipe" if you haven’t done it in a while

If you haven’t been active on a dating app for some time after you’ve activated one, you may get a message from the administrators of that app asking you to do so or they’ll delete your account.

Some apps you’ll have no choice but to swipe and match.

The only problem with that is you may run the risk of swiping with a guy that isn’t your type.

If you don’t participate and your account gets deleted, you’ll have to sign up and create a new account all over again.

Step outside of the box

If you’re too picky about the guy you want to go out with, then you may need to step outside the box.

Try to give guys you wouldn’t normally look at twice a chance if they meet some or all of your criteria.

Don’t be super particular about their looks or get too caught up in what they do for a living.

You just may be surprised and realize there is more than meets the eye.

Plus remember, it’s just a date! You’re not marrying the guy.

Keep an open mind

Take the time to weed out your prospects, listen to your gut and pay attention to any red flags you run across.

Now you’re probably thinking there is a lot of negativity behind dating apps.

Can any good come out of them?

Are dating apps worth it?

I would say yes, dating apps are worth it.

I have a few friends that have found love from these dating apps.

One met the man of her dreams on POF.

Another met her boyfriend on Match.

A third friend of mine met someone on Zoosk and recently just got engaged.

I found a true friend from POF and we’ve been talking almost every day for about two years now.

I feel very blessed to have him in my life.

All though we have met in person a few times, I feel our relationship is more of a friendship than him being the love of my life.

But who knows, maybe one day that will all change.

Don’t be intimidated or afraid to try a dating app.

Life is full of adventures.

Take the risk and try one.

When you do get on a dating app and land some dates, be safe, always let a trusted friend know where you’re going

Send them your coordinates on your phone for example so they can track you until you get home safely.

Have fun but be very cautious and vigilant.

Even though there are a lot of good guys, there are also a lot of crazy guys on these dating sites as well.

My best advice is to be careful and watch out for anything that doesn’t feel right to you.

You are always in control.

Don’t be afraid to make up an excuse and leave if you have to.

Don’t settle even if you get discouraged

Someone is out there that will knock you off your feet, you just haven’t found him yet.

Try a variety of dating apps—one size doesn’t fit all.

There may be features on a dating app that you just won’t like.

For instance, you may want a man to pursue you first rather than you having to pursue them first.

So just keep that in mind.

There’s no harm in shopping around!

Remember, you’re not "married" to that one particular dating app.

Happy Hunting!