If you're a single woman, chances are you've dabbled in online dating at some point (or multiple points) in your life. And if you have, you know it can sometimes be a frustrating experience. With so many options and potential matches out there, it's hard to know where to start—and more importantly, what to do once you've started.
To get a better sense of what single women's biggest complaints about online dating sites are, we asked around and did some research. Here are eight of the most common things we found.
1. The Number of Options Can Be Overwhelming
There are so many dating sites and apps out there, each with its own niche and target audience. It's hard to know which one (or ones) is right for you, and even if you narrow it down to a couple of options, the sheer number of potential matches can be daunting.
What's more, many of these sites and apps require users to fill out long and detailed questionnaires before they can even start browsing for potential matches—which can further add to the feeling of being overwhelmed.
2. It’s Difficult to Stand Out From the Crowd
Because there are so many people on dating sites and apps (often with similar interests), it can be hard to make yourself stand out from the crowd—even if you're an amazing catch!
A lot of times, women will find that men they're interested in don't message them first because they're waiting for them to make a move. But with so much competition out there, it's easy for messages to get lost in the shuffle or even go unnoticed altogether.
3. There’s No Guarantee That Matches Will Be Compatible—or Even Real
One big complaint about online dating is that it's difficult to tell if matches are actually compatible with each other—or even real people!
With some sites and apps, users can create profiles using only a few photos and a short bio, which makes it pretty easy for someone to create a fake profile or use someone else's pictures entirely. This can obviously lead to disappointment when meeting up in person, or even worse, catfishing scams.
4. Ghosting Is All Too Common
Even if matches seem promising at first, things can fizzle out quickly if there's no connection there. And sadly, ghosting has become all too common on online dating sites and apps: when someone suddenly stops responding to messages without any explanation at all.
This obviously leaves women feeling confused, frustrated, and even hurt—which brings us back to the first point: online dating isn't always an enjoyable experience!
5. You Can Waste A Lot Of Time Just Chatting Online
If you've ever felt like you've been talking to someone online for weeks (or even months) only to find out that they were never actually interested in meeting in real life, then you know this complaint all too well.
It can be easy to get caught up in the back-and-forth messaging and never actually take things offline. And that, is a bummer.
6. People Misrepresent Themselves Online
One of the biggest problems with online dating is that people often misrepresent themselves online. They might post inaccurate pictures, or lie about their age, weight, or height.
This can lead to some very disappointing encounters when you finally meet someone in person.
7. You Can Have Some Really Awkward Dates
Even if you manage to find someone great online and set up a date, there's no guarantee that it'll be a good one. In fact, some might argue that awkwardness is pretty much a given when it comes to first dates in general—online or not.
People are very different in person, expecially if you haven't even talked to them on the phone yet. So, just because you had great online chats, doesn't mean you're going to click in person. However, sometimes you just do. It's all about chemistry. You have it or you don't!
8. You Get Overwhelmed With Messages From Strangers
Another problem that single women often encounter on online dating sites is getting overwhelmed with messages from strangers. It's common to receive dozens (or even hundreds) of messages from people who you don't know and who aren't a match for you. This can be very frustrating and time-consuming.
Conclusion
If you're a single woman who's using online dating sites, chances are you've experienced some of these complaints. But don't despair! There are ways to avoid these problems and have a successful online dating experience. Here are some tips:
- Use filters to narrow your search results on dating sites so that you only see the people who are a good match for you.
- Don't be afraid to be picky about who you message or meet in person. It's better to spend more time messaging a few people who you think have potential than to message a ton of people and never meet any of them in person.
- Be honest in your profile. Don't misrepresent yourself by posting inaccurate pictures or lying about your age, weight, or height.
- Take your time getting to know someone before you meet them in person. This way, you can avoid wasting time on dates with people who turn out to be incompatible with you.
By following these tips, you can avoid the biggest complaints that single women have about online dating sites and have a successful experience.
Overall, online dating isn't always an enjoyable experience for single women—but that doesn't mean it can't be successful.
Just remember to keep your expectations realistic from the start (no one's perfect!), take things offline as soon as possible, and report any suspicious activity immediately. With that said, we hope you find your match soon! 🙂
