Find You a Boo During COVID: Online Dating Tips

It is next to impossible to meet someone new with limited social events and constant efforts to take proper social distancing precautions. Thus everyone is flocking to online dating as a means to meet their soulmate or at least find a date. Even celebrities are resorting to online dating for romance. I was watching the Wendy Williams show the other day and she mentioned using online dating since her recent divorce. 

With Valentines’ day right around the corner, I thought it will be fitting to share some online dating advice. If you came into this pandemic single I am sure you have thought about or even tried online dating. In doing so I know you have come up with lots of questions. Which app is the best to use? How do I wean out the losers and creeps? When do we exchange contact information? Should we meet in person and if so what measures should I take for my safety? I can’t tell you exactly what will work for you, but I will share some of my online dating tips.

#1 Pay Attention to Reputation 

When trying to choose the right dating app or apps for you, be clear on what you are looking for and the reputation of the dating app you are using. Let’s say you are a hopeless romantic like me, you wouldn’t go on an app like Tinder because it is known for hookups. Take your time, do your research and pay attention to what popular culture is saying. Join the apps with reputations that match up with your wants. If you take this approach, you will be more inclined to meet someone that is on the same wave as you. Remember, men lie and women lie, so you are still going to come across those guys or gals that aren’t a good fit for you.  In my opinion, Bumble, Coffee Meets Bagel and Hinge are dating apps where a lot of the users are professionals looking to date seriously. Blk, Tinder and Plenty of Fish are more so “hookup apps.”

#2 Create a Bomb as Profile

Now profiles can be very annoying to create. They ask you a million and one questions; some are multiple-choice and some are short answers. Take your profile seriously and answer the questions truthfully. Your responses will attract like-minded people. Your profile is like your personal commercial—if it’s trash you probably won’t get any meaningful hits. 

Now let’s talk about pictures. Don’t be a catfish! Now there are many levels to catfishing but the most common one that can become sticky is when you post pictures of yourself but you, the current you, really don’t look like yourself. You may be thinking what the hell is she talking about? Stop playing, you know exactly what I am talking about. Don’t only post pictures of yourself when you’re all dolled up from a unique angle if that’s not how you look at least 90% of the time. Pay attention to the word “only.” I’m not saying you can’t post them but make sure you are posting a variety of pictures. Pictures of how you look most days, going out, face shots and full-body shots. Mix it up. You want the other person to see you how you probably would look if you guys ever do decide to meet up. If you do this, it will save you from being curved. Trust me! Guys have told me horror stories about this. I’ve never been curved and that’s because I make sure the other person knows exactly how I look. No surprises.

# 3 Looks Aren’t the Only Thing That Matter

Don’t just swipe right or left, actually read their profile. That will wean out people who look good but you have nothing in common. Looks aren’t the only thing that matters. When I first started online dating I got caught up with the nice pictures without reading profiles. This was a waste of time because I started to talk to people only to find out something I didn’t like and the information was listed in their profile.  For example, I kept running into guys who were atheist and agnostic because I didn’t filter religion and I didn’t look through their profile. The specific things you should look for are up to you. For me dating someone who is a Christian and believes in God is extremely important, therefore I now check for that in profiles. There might be things that are important to you, like education, height, age, distance etc. Some apps allow you to filter these things and some just have the information listed in the other person’s profile. 

On most apps, the profile will also tell you what the other person is looking for. If you’re looking for something serious, do not talk to someone who’s just looking to have fun. Intentions should align or you may end -up getting your feelings hurt. Why go through the unnecessary pain. Keep it pushing. There are many people out there who what the same things as you. You just have to find them. 

# 4 Comfortability is Important

Everyone’s level of comfort and safety is different when it comes to online dating. Understand your comfortability and limits before engaging with someone. Some people will ask you for your number out the gate. If you do not want to give it to them then don’t. I usually like to engage in conversations to make sure we have things in common before I exchange contact information. Most of these apps you can call right through the app. You can even video call all without exchanging contact information, so never feel pressured to give out your information. Be safe. 

# 5 Don’t Wait Too Long

I can’t tell you how long you should talk to someone before you meet them in person; this is another one of those comfortability things. I can tell you that I like to meet sooner than later because there have been instances in which I have talked to someone for so long via text and phone but when I finally met them, the vibes were off. Needless to say, it was a complete waste of time. Again, I can’t tell you exactly when to feel comfortable meeting someone but just don’t wait too long. You never know what you will encounter that’s a deal-breaker for you once you actually meet. 

# 6 Meet and Greet

Now, this has become very tricky due to COVID and quarantine mandates. This is also another one of those comfortability things. You may want to wait until things go back to normal or you may just want to meet someone and take necessary precautions. Whatever your decision, it’s your business. If you do decide to meet someone. I suggest the first meeting be in a public place. It will be best if you plan for it to be a short meet. This way, if you’re not feeling it, you can end it and take your ass home! If you both vibe, you can always extend the time if the other person is willing. 

I also make it a habit to tell a friend what I am doing. Give them the person’s name, number and any more information you have handy. God forbid, if something happens, at least someone knows where you were and who you were potentially with. Give that friend a call before and after the date to check-in. You never want to meet a stranger and no one knows about it. 

COVID is real so before meeting up, get a feel of the person’s exposure to others. Does he/she go out partying during this pandemic? Are they working from home or going into the office? Who do they live with? Have they taken the vaccine? Some of these questions will give you an idea of the amount of contact he/she has with others on a daily basis and potential COVID exposure. This information may sway your decision to meet up. If you still want to meet after finding out this information then make sure you meet somewhere you are able to practice social distancing and wear your mask. Then you can see how it goes from there.

7# Last Bit of Advice

Dating is hard, period. Whether you meet the other person online, through a friend at a gathering, or anywhere else. The main things to remember is to be upfront and honest; make sure you both want the same things; be safe in whatever you choose to do; and understand your comfort zone. Valentines’ day is right around the corner so go find your 2021 Valentines’. Below is a list of dating apps you may want to try. Good luck!

Bumble

Bumble is the first app of its kind to bring dating, friend-finding, and career-building into a single social networking platform. At Bumble, women make the first move.

https://bumble.com

Hinge

The dating app designed to be deleted. Hinge is the dating app for people who want to get off dating apps. And it’s working. Currently, 3 out of 4 times Hinge members want to go on a second date.

https://hinge.co/

Okcupid

OkCupid believes you are more than just a photo. You have stories to tell, and passions to share, and things to talk about that are more interesting than the weather. Get noticed for who you are, not what you look like. Because you deserve what dating deserves: better.

https://www.okcupid.com/

Coffee Meets Bagel 

Coffee Meets Bagel believes some people were meant to meet. So they’re making introductions, one match at a time. And with 86% of CMB Daters looking for something serious, it’s no wonder so many matches become long-term relationships. They aim to create meaningful connections that spark hearts and inspire people to share themselves authentically and enthusiastically. 

https://coffeemeetsbagel.com/

HeyBaby 

Heybaby was designed to help good people find lasting relationships. Tired of the dating game and ready to start a family? If you’re a decent human being with parent potential (or have kids already), this app was made for you. And while some “serious” dating apps feel like you’re filling out medical forms, Heybaby is anything but boring. 

https://www.heybaby.com

Zoosk

Zoosk’s Behavioral Matchmaking technology is constantly learning from the actions of over 35 million members in order to deliver better matches in real-time. 

https://about.zoosk.com/en/about/