Advice

The next time you sit down to peruse profiles, make a note about what specifically catches your eye, especially when it comes to the default pictures. In many cases, it’s likely the attractiveness of the person in the photo... but you might be surprised to learn that that’s not always the case.

Indeed, the default picture can be more than just a pretty face. It can be a clue into the interests and even the personality of the person behind the profile. For example, let’s say you’re interested in the arts. An attractive person might interest you as much as the next person, but someone with a musical instrument in the background, or in their dance gear, or posed in front of the local art museum might snag your attention just as effectively.

If you’re interested in sports or athletics, you might be drawn to the person whose picture was taken at a basketball game, or who’s wearing clothes supporting your favorite team. Maybe you’d even be subconsciously more drawn to someone wearing athletic clothing over someone dressed up for a night on the town.

Making notes about these kinds of trends can be useful in multiple ways. For one thing, you’re learning what works and what doesn’t, and you can apply these ideas to your own profile. Maybe your current default picture is what you consider the most flattering, but it’s also the most boring. Try choosing a picture that is a window into your personality, and see if your results change.

Additionally, becoming more aware of what attracts you can help you better figure out what you’re looking for, or even give you insight into why you’re not having success. Maybe you’ve sworn off party types, but you’re still finding yourself drawn to indications of that lifestyle. We can’t decide what to change or continue until we know exactly what we’re doing in the first place.

For many, a default picture is just a pretty face, a bland placeholder until you meet the actual person. And there’s nothing wrong with that - but putting just a little more thought into it could add an entirely new level to your online dating experience.

Are you recently divorced and ready to get back in the dating pool again? Or maybe you're sick of dating guys your own age, or getting hit on by older men. Either way, you find yourself more and more attracted to younger men - whether it's the college student who lives in your building or the young bartender who works down the block.

We've heard the term "cougar" and it conjures up images of desperate housewives looking for excitement. But often this is not the case - when two people meet, even if they don't seem a good match, sometimes the chemistry is there and you want to pursue it.

But what does dating a younger man really mean? And more importantly, can you both make it work?

First, I think it's important to establish the kind of relationship you are looking for. Some women aren't interested in a long-term relationship, especially if they have just been through a transition like divorce. If you're dipping your toe back in the dating pool and not looking for anything serious, then dating a younger man might be a great option.

If you're looking for marriage or commitment of some sort, and you tend to gravitate towards people who aren't, then you might want to re-think your strategy. While you find younger men appealing physically, and perhaps more fun to be around, are they really good relationship material? Chances are, if a man is in his twenties, he's less interested in commitment and more interested in checking out his options.

While obviously not all young men are the same, I think it's true that many are more interested in exploring what's out there before they commit to anyone in particular, especially an older woman. A young man might think an older woman is interested in getting married and perhaps even having children right away, regardless of whether or not it's true, and be a little scared of forming a real relationship.

I think there is a double standard when it comes to dating younger. If you're an older man dating a younger woman, it's generally more acceptable for the friends and family around you. However, there are still stigmas attached to women dating younger men. Don't let other people's attitudes determine who you date - it's up to you to discover what works for you.

I encourage people to date outside their normal "types" - so why not date a younger man? But I also caution you to know what you want in a relationship, and make sure you're both on the same page. Instead of assuming you know what each other might want, it's good to actually discuss, sooner rather than later. It will be better for both of you in the long run. You might be more in sync with each other than you think.

We all have a "type" that we're attracted to when we're dating. It follows that when we join an online dating site or two, we tend to search for this type by using filters - whether we look for a man or woman with a particular body type, profession, education level, or height. After all, if we could special-order the perfect date online, why not try it?

Unfortunately, this is a counter-productive habit to get into when you're online dating. When you try to choose someone with specific criteria, there's no guarantee you'll be a good match. Ironically, if you loosen those filters a bit and date outside your type likely you're more likely to find someone who clicks with you.

Let's take an example. You like tall men with dark hair. That's fantastic. Does that mean you filter out men who aren't at least six feet tall with brown hair? Or does that mean you just bypass matches with blonde hair or who are five foot eight, refusing to respond to their emails or take a look at their profiles?

It's a little silly to be so specific when it comes to dating. Just because there are a lot of people online dating, doesn't mean you will automatically fall in love with your idealized physical type, even if you pick her out of a hundred matches. In most cases, chemistry is something much more mysterious and elusive. And it's often found in the people we don't expect.

The same thing holds true for choosing based on other types - not just the physical aspects. Let's say you always pictured being married to an academic, Ivy-educated type. Or let's say you envisioned a future with an entrepreneur who owned a successful business. So you overlooked the online profiles of that chiropractor with an awesome sense of humor, or the police officer with a passion for art, two people you could have hit it off with.

Online dating makes meeting more people possible. Because of this, we also want to search until we find someone "perfect" in our eyes, which is actually just a false and idealized image we have carried with us in the past.

It's time to let go of your old types and make room for new love. The more open you are to meeting people, even if they don't fit what you've imagined for yourself, ironically, the happier you'll be in your dating life. You'll meet people who will surprise you, and give you a better idea of what you do want - and the things that are most important in a relationship. Like someone who "gets" you, who listens, who respects you, who pays attention.

It’s no secret that most people are using online dating sites to find love, not friendship. After all, there’s plenty of people with whom we could get along or be friends, but finding someone with whom we share chemistry is a little trickier. We’re going for love and romance, right?

Well, yes. But at the beginning of a relationship, it is entirely possible to overdo it - to try to move too quickly. We know that a marriage proposal on the first date is too much, too soon, and we know that we want to get a little more personal than a conversation about the weather. The right balance lies somewhere in the middle - but where?

First, the most important thing to remember is that every couple is different, because every person is different. Some might be thrilled with flowers on the first date, while some would feel claustrophobic. Making any large gestures before you really know your date is a gamble, to say the least.

With that being said, it’s best to proceed with caution until you actually get to know your date. On the first date, you’re sussing out whether there’s any mutual spark at all. After that, if there is, there’s still a getting-to-know-you phase. Luckily, you probably won’t have to worry about romance, because that’s a pretty exciting phase all by itself! With plenty of open communication and discovery, you won’t need a set of rules or a manual to figure out the level of romance appropriate to you.

Over time, the “romance” question will only get easier. You now know your partner loves flowers, but likes a home-cooked meal even more. Or maybe they show their feelings physically, or verbally. Whatever the case, you’re now comfortable enough to experiment with something silly or grand, but you can also probably predict the response before it even happens.

As you can see, the trickiest part of the romance question is at the very beginning of the relationship. Some people think they have to follow every corny suggestion they see in a book or card store - suggestions that, by the way, tend to be geared toward people who want to bring romance back into their relationship, not find it for the first time. So if you’re worried that your large declaration of love might be too much, erring on the side of caution may be the most prudent course of action - because as a relationship progresses, such questions only get easier.

If you've checked out the news lately, you've likely seen the story about the Notre Dame football player and Heisman trophy hopeful Manti Te'o, who got scammed via an online romance.

There's a term for what happened to him - called catfished, or being the victim of an online dating scam. Basically, Te'o claims he was duped. He fell in love with a woman whom he met online and called his girlfriend. She was allegedly sick with a terminal illness, and then Te'o found out that she died just before his big game, and was dealing with her loss while trying to prepare for the game. The love story was epic, and Te'o was crushed.

But as it turned out, she never actually existed.

While there's some debate as to how much Te'o knew beforehand, he maintains he was in love and is devastated by the turn of events.

He's not the only one. Many people have been scammed online - some with financial consequences as well as emotional. Some people use online dating as a way to manipulate - to create a false sense of intimacy so that their online victims will do what they ask. It can happen to anyone, even football players who live their lives in the spotlight. So the real question is, if you're online dating, how do you protect yourself?

Following are some rules to prevent being scammed online:

Don't give out any personal information. This includes the basics, such as last name, finances, and where you live or work. You need to develop a comfortable level of trust (including seeing each other in person!) before divulging anything that could compromise your security and safety.

Ask to meet your online date sooner than later. If she avoids meeting you or keeps making excuses and canceling, likely it's for a reason. She doesn't want you to know who she really is. Consider flaky behavior a red flag.

Don't become intimate until you meet. What I mean by this is, some people have a tendency to fantasize about a relationship before it's even begun. If your online date is wooing you with affection and praise via email, texts or chats, be cautious. Intimacy is built up over time (and in person), so don't let your heart get away from you when the relationship hasn't moved beyond the virtual realm.

Watch for red flags. Does this person ask for money or favors? Do things seem to always be going wrong? (Te'o's girlfriend was sick with cancer while they virtually dated.) If your love interest has a lot of challenges, issues and problems before you've even established an in-person relationship, then chances are, you're being catfished.

When you have a fair amount of experience with online dating, it becomes easier to “trust your gut.” You more easily know what you’re looking for, and can identify with increasing ease people with whom you’ll probably get along (though no one can predict whether you’ll have that “spark”). And you might also sense when something’s “off,” without even precisely knowing what it is that seems wrong.

However, those who are new to online dating have less confidence in their instincts and logic. The dating world might seem like a darker, scarier place. Or, let’s say you’re someone who isn’t the best at detecting deception or nuance to begin with. How to make yourself feel safer?

In this day and age, there’s no reason one should have to trust only a few lines of text. Technology might not be perfect, and it can’t take the place of an in-person meeting, but it can at least break the ice and allay a few fears.

First of all: candid pictures. Sure, we might not have many that we feel shows us in our best light, but chances are we have access to something that will at least prove we’re a human being and not the Abominable Snowman. You might not put up a cell phone picture on your profile, but there’s nothing wrong with sending one along in a private message if someone’s nervous that your photos are too good to be true.

But why stop with those? If you really want to test the waters before meeting in person, try a simple video chat. Within a few seconds you’ve verified that you’re not talking to some foreign identity stealer who’s also an organized crime lord, but rather the mild-mannered, funny person whose profile caught your interest. You can tell that the quirky, self-deprecating humor is genuine, and not plagiarized. You can see that the default picture may have been at a very specific angle, but it wasn’t airbrushed into someone else. And when you meet in person, you’ll have an even more accurate idea of who to expect.

Even if you’re now feeling comfortable, you should never throw basic safety precautions out the window; meeting in a public place is always the best option. However, using common sense when it comes to safety is not the same thing as living in fear. With modern technology, there’s no reason to go into a date completely blind and afraid; why not use our technological resources to get comfortable?