Those were the days when it was all so simple. Now, you have more than one way to be rejected or even accepted when it comes to dating and your search for “Mr. Right.” There’s Facebook, Twitter, email, voice calls and text messaging. Did I get them all? I’m sure there’s more, but for the sake of argument, let’s just start with these.
So, you meet a guy, and after playing the waiting game, he actually asks you out on a date. Maybe there was flirting on a social networking site or work emails were getting used for something other than work. You finally give him your number (or you take his), thus, communication beyond the computer screen eventually evolves. The only problem here is that you have no clue what is considered “proper” dating etiquette in the 21st century. If he text messages you, but you’re on Facebook at the moment, and you decide to just message him a reply, is that cool? Or if he emails you and you respond with a phone call, is that appropriate?
While there’s no right or wrong answer, it’s clear that there are different strokes for different folks. So, in this instance, maybe he’s emailing you because he can’t talk. So, what happens when he “misses” your call? You think he’s ignoring you and you start to question if he really likes you, right? Although this may not be the smartest conclusion to draw, let’s face it: it happens.
It happens primarily because all the things your mother and grandmother told you about dating are long gone. All the “rules” they had no longer exist. It’s kind of hard to wait for a guy to make the first move after a first date when you see him updating his Facebook and Twitter pages every other minute. Meanwhile, you check your phone to make sure it is indeed working and you haven’t missed anything from him. It’s true what they say, “out of sight, out of mind.” The only problem here is that with this technology thrown into the mix of dating, there’s no such thing as “out of sight.” We live in a time where nothing is off limits and things like privacy and confidentiality no longer exist. But let’s remember, that’s a fault of our own.
So, the next time you’re stressing about how hard it is to date, think about a simpler time, before all this technology––“back in the good old days.” Remember, you can always say no to a friend request or “follow,” and totally minimize or eliminate the insane amount of text messaging that always seems to occur. The choice is up to you!
