This week on The Upgrade we’re looking for love online and learning about the world of online dating. From crafting the perfect dating profile and the differences between all the dating apps and services, we’re here to get you all set up before Valentine’s Day.
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This Week’s Discussion: Online Dating
With Valentine’s Day coming up, some of us have love on the brain and are thinking about how we can get a date, particularly with online dating. What used to seem cutting edge is now routine and people of all ages are using apps and online services to find someone. There are a lot of options though, so which service is right for you?
The big three are Match.com, OKCupid, and Tinder. Match is paid service that asks you a lot about yourself and what you’re looking for, and tends to attract an older (that is, not teenage) audience looking for more than just a fun date. Tinder is the opposite end of the spectrum since you judge people just based on a few pictures with little to no other information. And OKCupid is somewhere in the middle—you can add as much info to an OKCupid profile as you want, or you can keep it simple.
So once you choose a service how do you get started? A good dating profile features a variety of images of you, including a close-up of your face and a wider shot so people can get a sense of what you look like. As to the profile itself, explain your interests in a way that demonstrates your personality, as well as what you’re looking for. A 70/30 split between talking about yourself versus talking about what you want is a good ratio.
And when you do connect with someone, don’t just say “hi.” Ask them about something on their profile. But you might not want to drag the conversation out too long if you’re not just looking for pen pal; if there’s chemistry, get to a quick first date earlier than later.
Our Upgrades of the Week
Every week to round out the The Upgrade with the little upgrades of our own. Here’s a quick recap:
Andy: Terrace House is a Japanese reality show on Netflix that follows the lives of six strangers who all live together in a house. Unlike similar American television shows, there isn’t actually any competition and the people go about their daily lives. It’s just a very nice and charming escape from reality.
Patrick: Patrick realized that the bad lighting in his bed was a small annoyance that stopped him from reading, so he made his literary life a little better by splurging on a Kindle Paperwhite with a backlit screen.
Alan: Alan is striving for what he dubs “strategic passivity.” In other words, picking your battles wisely and ignoring the bullshit.
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