How to Find Love on the Internet
This week at The Upgrade, we’re looking for love on the internet and learning about the world of online dating. From creating the perfect dating profile and differentiating between all dating apps and services, we’re here to get you ready for the job through Valentine’s Day.
How to listen to this week’s episode
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This Week’s Discussion: Online Dating
With Valentine’s Day approaching, some of us are thinking about love and thinking about how to arrange a date, especially through online dating. What once seemed cutting edge is now commonplace, and people of all ages use apps and online services to find someone. However, there are many options, so which service is right for you?
The Big Three are Match.com , OKCupid, and Tinder . Match is a paid service that interests you a lot about yourself and what you’re looking for, and tends to appeal to an older (i.e. non-teen) audience looking for more than just a fun date. Tinder is on the opposite end of the spectrum, as you judge people from multiple photos with little to no other information. And OKCupid is somewhere in between – you can add as much information to your OKCupid profile as you like, or you can keep it simple.
So, once you choose a service, how do you get started? A good dating profile has a variety of images of you, including a close-up of your face and a close-up so people can figure out what you look like. As for the profile itself, explain your interests in a way that demonstrates your personality as well as what you are looking for. The 70/30 split between talking about yourself and talking about what you want is a good ratio.
And when you’re chatting with someone, don’t just say hello. Ask them about something on their profile. But you might not want to drag out the conversation too long if you’re not just looking for a pen pal; if you have chemistry, quickly go on the first date sooner rather than later.
Our weekly updates
Every week to add some minor enhancements to The Upgrade . 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 in a house together. Unlike similar American TV shows, there is virtually no competition here and people go about their daily lives. It’s just a very beautiful and charming escape from reality.
- Patrick: Patrick realized that the poor lighting in his bed was a slight annoyance that made it difficult for him to read, so he made his literary life a little better by investing in a Kindle Paperwhite with a backlit screen.
- Alan: Alan strives for what he calls “strategic passivity.” In other words, choose your battles wisely and ignore bullshit.
How can I ask a question?
There are two ways to ask a question:
- Call (347) 687-8109 and write down the question. The calls are awesome! We love them and we can play yours on the show!
- Send your question to upgrade@lifehacker.com .
Try to keep your questions as short as possible. That means 3-5 sentences for emails and 30-60 seconds for calls and videos. Your questions may be specific, but broader questions are generally better because they apply to more people. Anyway, we look forward to hearing from you!