Happy Halloween!
Online dating can be scary. From accidentally swiping right on your cousin to unsolicited pictures of things you didn’t want to see until the 5th date, there are a lot of things that can go wrong when looking for the “trick” to your “treat”. And, I have seen about everything you can possibly imagine through online dating.
“Mummy” Issues
My first boyfriend in college was a momma’s boy. Initially, we really hit it off. We messaged each other constantly and, eventually, set up a date to hang out. I asked him for his address and found out that he lived at least 15 miles away from where I was, AND, neither of us had a car. So, I would have to take the public transit system to get to his apartment. That really should have been red flag #1. But I was oh so blissfully unaware of the rabbit hole that I was about to fall into.
The date went well and, as I started to leave, I realized that I needed to use the bathroom. So, he told me where it was and as I was doing my business, I realized that there were women’s products EVERYWHERE. Angrily, I stormed into the living room where he was playing video games and asked him whose two separate bottles of shampoo and conditioner were in the shower. And, low and behold, it was his mothers. This 22-year-old man who had a big-boy job was living with his mother. But, apparently, college freshmen me did not see that as a “bad omen”. Instead, she decided that it was fine and dated him for 2 more months before eventually calling it quits.
Ghosting
Many people who try online dating understand the term “ghosting”. For those of you who don’t know, mainly my mom who reads my articles (hi mom!), “ghosting” is a term used when somebody who you are talking to, romantic or not, stops texting and/or calling you out of nowhere. And, with online dating, it is especially prevalent. I think that this is because with online dating, you have the opportunity to remain “semi-anonymous”- basically, you don’t have to see the person that you are talking to in the real world if you do not wish.
And, of course with my 2 years of experience in online dating, I have had my fair share of “ghosting”. The worst came from a guy that went to my university that used to be a Resident Advisor. We met on a dating app and he asked for my number instantly. We really were hitting it off and we planned a date. We were initially going to go on a walk but the weather was not in our favorso, I met up at his dorm and we decided to play games on his gaming system. Everything was going smooth and, eventually, we scheduled another date. However, after a couple of days, and him asking to see my feet and me not letting him, he ghosted me. Eventually, I saw that it was for the best. Later, I found out that he was dating somebody the entire time we were “talking”.
“Boogie” Man
I met “Boogie Man” around the time of allergy season my freshman year. We talked a lot on the dating app that we met on and I felt like we had a lot in common. He went to my school and although I saw him a lot in the dining hall, especially hanging out with his “bros”, he was a relatively nice guy who asked me how my day was (which, btw, is the BARE minimum). After talking for about a week or so, we decided to plan a date. It had been raining a lot, and since neither of us had a car for transportation through the storm, we decided to watch a movie in my dorm. He eventually made his way to my dorm and, of course, wanted to “cuddle” on my bed. We made our way over there, turned on “Shrek”, and started getting comfy. Everything was going well until he lifted up my chin like he was going to kiss me. But, instead of kissing me, he booped my nose and said “boogies”. I was flabbergasted. I had been sniffling all night but I did not expect him to point that out, especially not on a first date. However, I had to keep my cool until the movie ended and he would leave. After he departed, I stopped talking to him. He messaged me a little bit after that, and we still have each other on social media, but it was basically over after that cringey interaction.