I was sitting at lunch the other day talking to a friend of mine about her online dating experience so far, and she mentioned a situation that sounded all too familiar: A gentleman contacted her, he sounded amazing, he looked extremely attractive, he happened to be out of town, he wanted to talk on the phone (but never Skype), he had no online footprint… and then he asked what bank account she used. Luckily, she was smart enough to realize that he was inviting her into a trap, but not all people are.
It’s easy to fall in love with someone’s online dating profile, isn’t it? The ultimate goal, of course, is to meet in person. JDate even lists all of the options that one might look for, from a friend to an activity partner to a spouse. People don’t join online dating sites to simply email back and forth with no end in sight. In other words, don’t have an “e-lationship.”
The best way to manage online dating is to schedule a date (coffee or a drink) after just a few emails back and forth, because chemistry is next to impossible to gauge over email. In fact, I don’t even recommend talking on the phone before a first online date. Someone might be great on the phone and a dud in person, or a bore on the phone and fabulous in person. The point is that you never know whether you’ll have chemistry (which I call the “wild card”) until you actually meet; and no number of emails or calls will change that. With too much pre-date communication, there are two types of risk:
- The risk of ruling someone out before even meeting, perhaps because of the phone call/excess emails or maybe because you simply lost the momentum.
- The risk of falling in love with this person’s online persona without much basis.
Of course, many people don’t know when it’s appropriate to move from the email to the date and err on the side of caution (aka waiting too long), so in this case, I recommend saying something like, “I’m really enjoying these emails. Should we meet for a drink next week? I’m free Monday or Wednesday if either works for you.” If the recipient takes the bait or suggest a different day, then you know this person wants to meet. If the answer is simply no (or there’s no answer), then it’s time to move on. If someone is perpetually busy, then he or she either really has no time to date (a problem) or is trying to get out of meeting in person for some reason (a bigger problem). If meeting in person is not feasible—perhaps you don’t live close enough to meet in a timely fashion—then the best thing to do is to suggest that you Skype or FaceTime. It takes just as long to dial someone’s number and chat for a few minutes as it does to sit down and email each other, so if someone declines this offer, that is a major red flag.
My advice? Meet offline as soon as you can. If you plan the first date quickly and like each other, that’s great—you’ll have more time to spend together! If you don’t have that connection, you can move on without investing more of your time. Don’t be the next story on Catfish: The TV Show.
I’m not sure how long ago this article was published. I’m not sure that I agree with the comment about not talking on the phone before meeting the first time. Sometimes it’s good to get a better feel of the person and learn a bit more before meeting. One of the most frustrating things in meeting in person before talking is going through the same conversations over and over to get to know the person better (children, siblings, where grew up, etc). I guess maybe this is all individual preference. For *me* I find that if all that is discussed in the first one or two emails or on the phone first, the actual meeting is more fun and relaxed.
I think like Dave S…as well….
But everyone’s experiences are different: and thus, preferences. This is good: otherwise life could be a bit boring…
Personally, I’ve had too many people stalking me through life…and one i never even officially dated. So…emails and phone calls, even for basic friendships to be initiated are protocol for me.
As well, I’m pretty firm on my standards of faith/morals/ethics in life, (found within the scriptures)…. i wouldn’t “date” anyone, who was not living the same convictions… SO: i wouldn’t want to waste anyones’ time (or mine) in traveling to meet in person: til they first understand my convictions. …and then the “date” serves as a followup to discern IF the person’s emails and conversations were deceiving or not.
I hope there are some men of faith and integrity…who fear the Holy One, and aspire to please God….out there. Other wise… life will stay pretty much a solo affair… just glad to be a child of God… sojourning life’s adventures with Him. …Shalom and joy…in the journey….(smile).