Years ago, most people’s hectic lifestyles prevented them from being able to go out and meet other singles, especially for casual sex; too much time and effort had to go into finding other interested parties. Well, that was until dating sites became a thing.
Now as long as people have a mobile device and an internet connection, they can meet people for sex, with no strings attached. Entire sites are devoted to helping people to find others interested in casual encounters.
There are some unspoken rules when it comes to casual dating, however. Here are some of them:
Sex, Nothing More
What you need to understand about casual dating is that it is just about sex, nothing else. A lot of inexperienced daters find a hookup site to use and then start bombarding matches with messages one would typically send to a romantic interest, not a temporary lover. The vast majority of people you meet on hookup sites want nothing more than sex with no strings attached. If you are interested in something more than this then you need to use a different type of site. Meeting people from hookup sites in person will be more painful than it will be enjoyable if you’re looking for something serious; sometimes people ghost one another after having sex. In short, make sure that you just want sex and not a serious relationship so that your feelings do not end up getting hurt.
Accurate Photos
If you want to begin using casual dating sites, you need to take accurate photos of yourself. Make sure that you do not use filters or edit them in any way. Altering photos after taking them can be very misleading. It’s sadly very common for people to doctor their photos these days. When you do this on dating sites you run the risk of catfishing people. If somebody matches with you and then later discovers you look nothing like your photos, they will probably never talk to you again.
Public Places
When arranging to meet people on the internet in person, steps need to be taken to protect both parties. In the past people have been seriously injured and even killed by psychopaths they have met online. Meeting your matches in public places before going to bed with them will make it easier to identify and avoid weirdos. It will also likely deter anybody from doing anything illegal, as they will have been caught on camera with you. Meet in cafés, bars, and clubs. When going to bed, consider going to a busy hotel rather than your apartment or somewhere that is secluded.
Verifying Identity
Always ask your matches to verify their identities before you meet with them. Asking people to show proof of identity might seem a little extreme, but it is the only way to confirm that your matches are who they purport to be. Catfishing is, sadly, very common today. It is when individuals use other people’s photos and pretend to be them, in order to mislead people on dating sites. More often than not those catfishing others do not do it maliciously, it tends to be because they are not confident in their appearances. Notwithstanding innocence, catfishing can still be very upsetting for those being fooled. Verifying your matches’ identities will prevent it from happening to you.
STD Testing
STD (sexually-transmitted disease) testing is a habit you’ll want to get into if you are planning on meeting up with strangers for sex. As a general rule, users of casual dating sites test themselves before meeting new people. In addition to testing yourself and making sure you are free from disease, wear protection. Unwanted pregnancies happen suddenly and unexpectedly, leaving those involved in an awkward situation. Wearing protection can also protect you and your sexual partners from contracting diseases, illnesses, or infections from one another.
Setting Boundaries
Whenever you are entering into a relationship of any kind with somebody from the internet who you do not know very well, boundaries need to be set. Setting boundaries will protect both of you and ensure that you are comfortable. If the person you are in a casual relationship with begins overstepping, remind them of the boundaries you have set or cease any further communication. Once you let somebody cross your boundaries once, they will continue to do it again and again. Taking action and punishing people for their behavior will prevent it from happening again in the future, keeping your relationships healthy.
Casual dating can be a good way of meeting new people, having fun, and fulfilling sexual desires. However, there are unspoken rules that interested individuals must learn and come to terms with first. Until these rules are understood, no dating can take place.
