Social media has become a great place to meet new people including people who you may have seen in the grocery store or skiing but you never really talked to them. Tinder is one form of social media that allows you to meet up and chat with people who live near you but you probably wouldn’t have talked to. However it is not a fairy tale, it doesn’t magically make relationships happen, and while it is true that sometimes it is used for hookups rather than real relationships it is still quite often used for the latter. These dates are just like any others, except sometimes people make really poor decisions that make their date wish they had swiped left or nope. From my personal experience here are some things that you should avoid doing on a Tinder date as these could make or break the evening and send your date running.
While having a drink or two is a common practice among adults as a way to relax in the evening please make sure you know your limit. Don’t drink heavily alcoholic drinks or get drunk, it shows poor judgement and immaturing which no one finds attractive. If you are going to drink make sure you don’t exceed the limit to drive and NEVER ask your date if they can drive you home. You are your own responsibility and should not be relying on a stranger to get you home. Also I’m sure your date didn’t picture the evening going in a way that involved them having to figure out how your car works just so they can make sure you get home ok. If after a drink or two your date informs you that they will be getting picked up and do not need a ride home do not try to force them to get a ride from you and do not be angry about it. Remember that you two are strangers, one date does not change that. You have no idea what their comfortability is with alcohol and they are not aware of your tolerance so may not be completely trusting of you driving them safely back and you should be understanding of that.
If you go on a date to a restaurant or a movie or someplace that requires purchasing tickets or paying a bill make sure you have a plan of how payment is going to work before it happens. You don’t want to surprise your date with a check or how pricey a place is. At college age, money is often tight so be considerate and figure out a budget that will work for your date if you will be splitting the bill.
If you are driving your date somewhere, please be a responsible driver. You have no idea how they drive and even if they speed a little bit they have no experience with your driving techniques. Driving five over the speed limit is one thing but never do more than that. Being pulled over and written a ticket is not going to impress your potential partner. Turn at a safe pace and don’t race down roads. You want to keep yourself and your date safe so you can have a fun evening.
We often are curious about the character of strangers we have a newfound interest in and one way of quenching that curiosity can be to look at their social media. If you decide to do some snooping about your date do not make it obvious. Depending on what it is you may creep out your date or come off as intrusive. Don’t ask your date about past boyfriends or how recently they got out of a relationship.
If you go on a Tinder date remember that you are strangers. Having a date or two can lead to a relationship but you don’t know each other and while you might be comfortable doing some things on the date such as drive at a bit of a reckless speed or drinking to your tolerance limit, your date may be less comfortable with that. Be considerate of them and your date should at least not be a disaster. Whether or not it is a success is another story but following these tips should help it to at least not be a night you both regret.
