Before you get all "swipe right" happy on Tinder for Valentine's Day or lured into the very seasonally appropriate matchmaking site OkCupid, here's a quick reminder that things can get mighty crazy in the world of online dating.
Sometimes one participant may misjudge a conversation and allow it to escalate too quickly. There are also online daters who hide behind a super-cheesy pickup line because they don't know how to organically break the ice. Some dudes will just straight up ask you for pictures of your feet. That happens too.
We are certainly in support of broadening your horizons and social circles to find that special someone. The Channing to your Jenna. The Blake to your Ryan.
Online dating is the new normal to do that.
However, for every guy or gal who has tried to make their match from swiping a headshot or just selecting a certain search radius from your apartment for local singles, you will get a few people who come on a tad strong with their approach to courtship.
These are a few of the messages you may expect to see...
A random statement of fact:
A confusing pickup line about biology:
The super-quick segue:
The "artist" or "photographer" who's just struggling to find models:
This isn't even an offer of S-E-X (there's a lot of that online), but whatever this is:
A case of déjà vu:
Legitimate yet disconcerting questions:
The "I could have deleted this, but nope, sending now" message:
Tindering while under the influence:
Oh, we see what you did there:
Pretending to be someone's mom... classic move:
Emoji overload:
The person who's just recruiting for their rec league basketball team:
And the ultimate combo... emoji overload AND coming on too strong:
Safe swiping, everyone!