Back in the day, turning to the Internet to find love was somewhat taboo, and singles were often reluctant to join online dating sites for fear of looking creepy or desperate. People worried about self-preservation frequently dished out the old saying, “I don’t need any help finding dates,” schpeel. Ohhh, how times have changed.
These days, online dating has become so popular that singles are almost expected to have a profile on one or more of these sites. It’s not weird or desperate; it’s actually smart, because people realized that they do need help finding dates. Dating sites take the guess work out and match you up with other users with whom you may be compatible. But unfortunately you can’t completely rely on this digital middle-man.
You still have to keep your guard up and look for red flags because there are tons of online daters out there who are a total nightmare, and the last thing you want is to get involved with one of them. Check out the list below of the four absolute worst types of online daters!
1. The Ex-Con
Having a criminal record is no bueno, but lying about it? That’s even worse. Unfortunately online daters frequently turn to deception when it comes to revealing their ex-con status. Imagine meeting the perfect guy or girl online, going on several dates, and then finding out that they spent time in the slammer for a serious offense. Yikes! Thank goodness for websites like InstantCheckmate.com that allow singles to background check their potential dates prior to meeting in person.
2. The Photoshop Enthusiast
Photos play a major role in online dating because obviously you want to know what someone looks like prior to sparking up a conversation. The only problem is that a lot of online daters take it too far online daters take it too far with their photos, and by too far, we mean that they photoshop the sh*t out of every single image.
Trust me, you can do a lot with photoshop, and people who know the program can end up with tons of photos that don’t accurately portray their true appearance—at all. Meeting your online crush in person for the first time is super exciting, but the excitement turns to dust when you get there and they look nothinglike they do in their pictures. Perhaps you should schedule a Skype date first.
3. The Casanova
There are tons of different dating sites out there, and people usually choose which one to join based on their intentions. Some sites, like eHarmony and Match, are geared toward singles who are serious about finding a romantic partner and falling in love. Basically, they’re looking for “the one.” However, there are other sites, like Plenty Of Fish and OkCupid, that are more casual and hookup-oriented.
Sadly, a lot of online daters get these sites mixed up, and they end up breaking hearts because their date is looking for a relationship, while they’re just looking for a one night stand. Ouch! You can easily avoid this by having an open conversation with your potential date just to make sure you’re both on the same page.
4. The Adult Baby
When you strike up a flirty conversation with someone you met online, you never really know where they are at that very moment. You assume that they’re at home, but unfortunately “home” could mean their parents’ basement. Yup, it happens all the time. People meet online and start dating, only to find out that one of them still lives at home with their parents. Can you say deal breaker?
These folks are what we like to call “adult babies,” because they just can’t seem to leave the nest. They mooch off their parents to avoid having to enter the real world where they’d have to pay rent, buy groceries, and heaven forbid, do their own laundry. I’ll admit, the real world sucks sometimes, and I miss the days when mom ironed my clothes and made me breakfast every morning, but we all have to grow up and spread our wings at some point. Nothing good can come from dating an adult baby, so make sure your online crush has fully entered adulthood before you agree to go on a date with them.
Can YOU think of any other online daters that are the absolute worst? Let us know in the comments!
