Our online dating expert draws on her decade’s experience of online dating to take a light-hearted but savvy look at the realities of romance in the internet age. Here, she discusses the five classic dating types.
1. The thrill of the chase guy
The profile this man has perfected online will be contrived and manipulative in order to draw you in. He uses dating sites as an ego boost and an online game, winning you over with his charm and banter – no matter how intelligent you are!
While these ‘catfish’ do exist in the real world, there seem to be many more online where it’s easy to hide behind fake photos and profiles: ultimately he is the type who loves the chase but never want to meet.
So learn to read between the lines because a lot of profiles are not built on firm foundations and it can take a long time to discover the truth.
2. The too good to be true guy
Flashy photos in exotic locations, smiles, planes, houses, cars and ready to spend it all on you – until he meets the next one. Yes, I fell in love with this type of guy, who always had a string of other women on quick dial. It was fun – but heartbreaking.
3. The charmer
Superficial charm works wonders online! He will have highly developed online skills with the perfect chat up email and show enough interest in you to draw you in. But this guy will only keep you interested for as long as it suits them.
4. The cougar hunter
I remember how flattering it was the first time a 30-something hunk emailed me. The banter flowed, but deep down I knew something didn’t feel right. Yes, it is true: the bank balance hunters and cougar hunters are out there. Many pretend to be in the services, and a friend of mine even got the classic requests to send over money. Be warned – it could happen, even to you.
5. The slow, nice guy
The good news: online dating is a great place to meet your perfect match, so keep your eyes open for the nice guys that have less bravado and genuinely take a bit more time to get to know.
6. The baggage guy
I always had a rule to never date anyone who was ‘separated’, as this would avoid sharing all the burden of their divorce. But life is never perfect – so be careful not to get caught up in an unrealistic checklist.
In fact, I forgot my checklist and started to date someone in the separated category – and have never been happier!!
What to know more? See 5 lessons from a decade of online dating.
