Online dating is a wonderful thing, but it is a double-edged sword in many respects. We can meet a lot more people this way, but having the ability to meet more people also means we have to suffer through a lot more bad dates. A LOT more.

Let me clarify – this isn’t a bad thing. It’s just the thing that people tend to complain about when it comes to online dating. “There are so many bad ones out there,” is the cry from most. But even if you only had one date a month, chances are you wouldn’t click with most of those dates either. The irony is, most people aren’t romantically suited for each other – a part of online dating that we must come to accept.

The point I’m making is this: you’ll have a lot of first dates. And by comparison, relatively few second dates.

This isn’t to say you are failing at online dating, or that there just aren’t many “good ones” out there. It just means that you (and other online daters) are meeting a lot of people at any given time, and most of them aren’t going to click with you. In fact, most won’t lead to a second date. And that’s okay.

Second dates mean that there is some chemistry felt on both sides, that there might be an opportunity to move forward into a relationship. If one person didn’t feel a connection on the first date, she probably isn’t willing to try again for date number two (although I believe we should error on the side of giving more people an opportunity for a second date, where they will likely be more “themselves” than on a first date). Chemistry is an elusive concept. It is something that is felt – and not always by both people.

If you aren’t getting many second dates and want a bit more success, there are a few things to consider changing. Number one – are you mixing up your meeting place? After a dozen coffee dates at your favorite coffee joint, things can get a little stale. Try branching out and doing something more creative, not necessarily more expensive. Go for a walk in the park or a hike. Try a wine tasting event or strolling a flea market. Try a more inspiring date and it might mean that you have more fun together in general.

If you are expecting instant chemistry or love at first sight with your dates, you’ll be waiting a long time. Most people don’t feel chemistry with someone until they have built up trust. If they do feel chemistry right away, it typically fizzles pretty quickly because you don’t really know each other. Don’t rely solely on your animal instincts. Instead, take things slowly, get to know the person sitting across from you, and don’t take it personally if there is no second date.

When it’s right, there will be many more dates after the second.

There is a temptation many online daters succumb to, perhaps without realizing it. While the point of online dating is to widen your social circles and meet people you otherwise wouldn’t meet in real life, there is unfortunately a timing issue.

Most people start communicating with their matches online before they make plans to meet in person. There is a “getting to know you” phase, complete with flirtations, shared intimacies, and lots of texts back and forth. For some, this process can go on and on for weeks before the two decide to meet in person.

By that time, anticipation has been built. Maybe you throw on your cutest outfit or favorite pair of heels, or style your hair for the occasion. You have butterflies in your stomach, excited to think how well you connected online – so surely you must also connect in person, right?

Not so much. Many online relationships fizzle by the time two people meet and discover that in person, there is just no chemistry between them. Certain personality affectations are hard to guage online, and people get a false sense of who the other person really is when they only communicate online.

For one, it is easier to fantasize when you aren’t seeing each other face to face. Maybe your date is really witty over text, but avoids eye contact in person. Maybe he’s painfully shy, or maybe he’s not exactly what you pictured in your head. Regardless, there is a gap between the person you fantasized about and the person sitting in front of you.

Secondly, people tend to cultivate a false sense of intimacy online. It’s easy to share more personal information when you aren’t looking each other in the eye. When you date in person, there is a more gradual build, as there is a certain level of trust that has to be gained before you open up. When you are only communicating online however, it’s easy to overshare. You can text at all hours, so there aren’t any boundaries for appropriate timing, or what you can feel free to say. Maybe you are more bold about flirting online, and would never say those things to someone in person. So what happens when you finally meet? There is a certain vulnerability that can make both people feel uncomfortable or awkward around each other, which can lead to a lack of chemistry.

And lastly, you don’t want to maintain an online relationship with someone who keeps putting off meeting you in person. They might not be who they claim they are. Do you really want to make an emotional investment in someone who isn’t eager to meet you in person, no matter the reason?

It is better to meet in real life sooner rather than later. Don’t build up an online relationship thinking it’s the same thing as actually dating. It’s not. Meeting face to face is the only way to assess how compatible and attracted to each other you are.

All of us have our own personal lists of dating “deal-breakers.” If you’ve been on a date recently, chances are you’ve encountered someone who did something you can’t accept – whether it’s spitting his food when he talked or grabbing your leg under the table – or maybe she lied about her weight in her online dating profile.

Some of these things are upsetting, and when they happen more than once, they can become dating deal-breakers.

Deal-breakers vary for all of us, but usually have to do with a lack of respect or consideration for the other person. We don’t like being lied to, talked down to, having our dates assume we are “DTF,” or any of an array of bad behaviors.

Details magazine recently polled fifteen women to find out their dating deal-breakers, and most shared a very specific experience that they are sure never to repeat. Sometimes, one person’s actions can leave such a bad impression that they become the benchmark for what you don’t want in a date.

It’s good to remind ourselves of what some typical deal breakers are when it comes to dating – so we can demand better behavior of our dates. It’s great to keep an open mind about everyone, but it’s also important to balance this with respecting yourself, your time, and your emotions.

Following are a few red flags to watch out for that you can consider dating deal-breakers:

She’s rude to waitstaff/ valet/ etc. If she refuses to tip the valet, gets testy with your waiter, or otherwise treats people in a rude or dismissive manner, this is a huge red flag. There’s no need to spend your time with someone who doesn’t see people as equals.

He leaves you hanging. Does he text you last minute only to cancel? Does he show up late every time you’re supposed to meet? Does he neglect to text or call? If he’s flaky, it’s not because he’s too busy, it’s because he is disrespectful on your time. Move on.

He is aggressive sexually. If he grabs your leg, your backside or other body part without your permission or against your wishes - or if he presses you for sexual favors when you’re not ready or not interested, walk away.

She talks a lot about the ex. Take the hint – if she’s not thinking about you on the date and talking about her ex, chances are she’s still hung up on him, even if her ex makes her angry. A date isn’t a therapy session, or a walk down memory lane. Time to go.

She is critical. Does she tell you what you should order, how you should dress, or what she expects? Nobody should be so controlling or demanding, especially when you’re just dating. If she makes you feel “less than,” run the other way – that’s a deal-breaker.

You'd be forgiven for thinking dating is an extrovert's game. With all the messaging and the meeting and the inevitable talking, dating sounds like an introvert's nightmare. The kind where you wake up screaming and then realize you've wet the bed.

But even the shyest of the shy need love and companionship, right? Online dating is for everyone, and in fact may even offer advantages for introverts.

First, online dating can be done from the comfort of your own home (or whatever space you're most comfortable in). Second, it doesn't involve any of the pressures of meeting via traditional methods, like striking up conversations with strangers or jostling for space in crowded bars. And third, it eliminates the pressure of needing to having insightful, witty, flirty conversations on the fly – all of your communication can be done thoughtfully, on your own time, over a series of messages.

With that in mind, here are 5 tips for introverts dipping their toes in the online dating waters.

1. Proceed at your own pace. Your friends are swiping like crazy and you'd almost swear they go on dates 10 days a week. Don't feel pressure to do the same. Go on one date a week, one date every two weeks – whatever works for you. And if it ever feels overwhelming, take a break.
2. Be honest in your profile. Own your introversion. You can outright call yourself an introvert in your profile or, if that's uncomfortable for you, indicate it in more subtle ways. Mention how much you value quiet time, or how happy you are curled up with a book. Drop enough hints and people will get the picture.
3. Choose your dating service wisely. Some dating services may be more suitable than others. A site highly focused on compatibility, like eHarmony, may make you feel more at ease. Or a service like Bumble, that only lets you communicate if mutual interest is established. Or perhaps a personality-specific niche site, like ShyPassions.com.
4. Screen carefully for compatibility. Isn't that what everyone is doing online? Well, yes, kind of, but this is about something very specific. If going out every weekend isn't your style, avoid profiles with tons of party pics. If, on the other hand, you're looking for someone to bring you out of your shell, perhaps the party pics are exactly what you need.
5. Share your interests. So you're not into loud clubs and vodka-soaked dance floors. That's OK. Tell people what you are interested in. You'll attract suitors who are interested in similar things and – added bonus – possibly have a first date built right in.

Have you been single for a while? Do you date hoping to meet someone special - because you crave the companionship, the support, the life shared together?

All of these things are wonderful. Having a relationship is a great goal for your life. But the truth is, there are times when even the people who are happily committed want a little space and freedom from the demands of the relationship. It’s important when you are single to keep some perspective, so you don’t fall into a mode of self-pity. In reality, there are positives and negatives to both – being single and being part of a couple.

It’s time to focus on the positive aspects of being single – and what many people in relationships wish they could have:

You can book a last-minute trip. Anywhere. This is an amazing perk of being single – you are completely in charge of your time and your budget, so if travel is your priority and you don’t have to consult with a partner, then it’s really easy to say yes to those last-minute trips. Or that European vacation. Take advantage now, because that kind of freedom is not quite as easy to pull off in a relationship, especially if you decide to start a family.

You don’t have to share your calendar. Do you want a weekend getaway with the girls? When you are partnered up, you might have to spend that weekend with your in-laws or at your boyfriend’s cousin’s graduation instead. Family time obligations are doubled when you are with a partner, as well as dealing with two different sets of social obligations. You will be busy doing things you don’t always want to do when you are part of a couple, so enjoy setting your own schedule now.

You can spend your weekend however you want. If you want to spend all day shopping, or having a leisurely brunch with your girlfriends, or play poker with your buddies, go for it. There’s nothing stopping you.

The only habits you deal with our your own. Do you like the dishes to be put away before you leave the house? Are you kind of a slob who leaves your shoes and clothes everywhere? No matter your habits, good or bad, clean or messy, your partner will likely have different ones. Enjoy doing things your way now without compromise or consideration - it won’t last forever.

Eating whatever (and whenever) you want. If you like to eat cereal for dinner while you binge-watch Mr. Robot at 10:00 at night, you can without hassle or regret. If you want ice cream for lunch and you don't have to worry about making something for your partner, go for it. You won’t always have this kind of freedom and ability when you are partnered up.

Enjoy the single life – embrace the present!

It looks like Tinder has swiped left on its latest CEO Chris Payne, and is asking co-founder Sean Rad to take control once again of running the company behind the infamously popular dating app. Rad will re-assume his position as CEO and Greg Blatt, Chairman of Match Group, will assume the newly created position of Executive Chairman of Tinder. Match Group is the parent company of online dating brands that include some of the most successful dating sites, including Tinder, Match.com and OkCupid.

Payne, a former eBay and Microsoft executive, is leaving the company after only five months as CEO. While Match Group originally hired him because of his experience, hoping to bring more corporate strategic thinking to the company, Rad remained the face of Tinder in the news thanks to his part in the app’s early success and his outspoken manner. (At the time, it didn’t help that he was embroiled in a sexual harassment lawsuit by former employee Whitney Wolfe, founder of new female-friendly dating app Bumble.)

For now, Payne seems to be content with the decision for him to step down. "I enjoyed my time at Tinder but we mutually determined that this wasn't going to be optimal and thought that a quick transition served everybody best," said Mr. Payne in a statement. "I think Tinder's going to be an incredible company." 

Website Mashable (who reported Tinder’s executive shake-up) has linked the decision to re-establish Rad in the CEO position as part of Match Group’s financial strategy. The company plans an initial public offering later this year. According to Blatt, the dating industry has come a long way since the company’s inception, but the category remains “underpenetrated.”

Tinder introduced a new premium paid service earlier this year, offering extra perks like the ability to go back and change a previously rejected profile or giving users more profiles to swipe per day. One analyst predicted Tinder’s valuation would top $1 billion in 2015.

For now, the company and Rad are focused on the future. "I'm committed to continuing to drive Tinder's growth and to make Tinder one of the great businesses of our time," said Mr. Rad. "I look forward to working closely with Greg to make that happen."

"It's only been a few months, but there was mutual agreement here that it was not the right long-term fit, and given Tinder's rapid growth trajectory both Christopher and the Board thought prompt action was best for everyone," said Matt Cohler, of Benchmark, a Tinder director. "We appreciate Christopher's work here and wish him well in future endeavors."