10 ways to spot genuine people when you’re online dating

But dating apps are about to enter their second decade of mainstream use, and times have changed. In the nearly eight years since Tinder launched, online dating has gone from a taboo, last-ditch resort for desperate loners to one of the most ubiquitous platforms and defining cultural touchpoints for modern dating . Not here to stay? But take it from me, a person who has spent literally the entirety of my adult life on dating apps, there are many, many more ways you can go wrong.

We are all complicit in the massive garbage heap that is dating app culture.

Dating sites and mobile apps like RSVP, eHarmony, Plenty of Fish, Zoosk, Tinder information that you might share in the course of getting to know someone. Never include personal information such as your real name.

You can display your hobbies, interests, pastimes, friends, or family if you want to. Are they showing off that they can rock a keg stand or that they traveled to Fiji and swam with stingrays? How someone initiates a conversation with you will say a lot about how they view you as a person and how they might treat you as a partner. Did they comment on your body in a sexual manner or did they ask you what breed your cute dog is in your picture?

You may get your fair share of cheesy pick-up lines, some can be endearing and charming while others can be crude and demeaning. Humor can be a wonderful icebreaker, but also remember you are worth more than a lame pick up line. Someone who truly wants to get to know you will take the time to do so. After the initial ice breaker conversation, what does the rest of the conversation look like?

Your first few conversations with someone new should be easy going. Additionally, if someone is giving you a checklist right away of all of the things they want in a future partner, this may be a red flag for some controlling behaviors.