The Dating Jungle: How Men and Women See Each Other When Online Dating

One of the obvious differences between online dating and the traditional variety is the fact you can’t see virtual partners. A profile photograph can only provide a hint. Once people get to know each other a bit better, they might escalate communication to a platform like Skype, but until then, there’s a degree of mystery. What is interesting is the different way men and women see each other during online dating. When it comes to the search for love, there can be quite a variation in attitudes.

Profile images

The initial impression anyone gives in the online world is done via their profile photograph or portfolio. This is where the point-of-view between the genders can vary considerably. Most site users will attempt to present the best version of themselves for outside scrutiny, in much the same way as we would get dressed up for a big night out. Men will ensure their hair looks well-groomed and they’re wearing their best shirt; women will take time applying makeup.

Men tend to find women looking their most attractive as less trustworthy. Why should this be? Perhaps there’s a subconscious impression the best-looking females are liable to attract far more attention in the online world. If this is the case, a lot of guys might be tempted to move on, not wishing to find themselves facing a degree of competition.

If a man has taken the time to compose his profile photograph, women will certainly be impressed. If he has gone to so much trouble, this will reflect on other aspects of his life, such as trustworthiness.

Communication

Because online dating is all about connecting in the artificial environment of the Internet, assumptions can be made. As singles are getting to know each other better, this is where there can be confusion between what people really feel and what they are being less open about.

A woman might send a lot of messages to a potential partner because she likes him a lot, and feels like being sociable. This is what online dating is all about, isn’t it? Dating sites provide a discreet platform to their members where they can communicate to their hearts’ content. Males, traditionally more reticent and less communicative, could take this attention the wrong way. They might feel a female who is bombarding them with messages is being pushy.

In this situation, the hapless woman can’t win. If she were to try and second guess a guy’s attitude to excessive contact and deliberately ration her texts or emails, the man could jump to the wrong conclusion that this person isn’t really showing much interest.

Mystery

The most successful online relationships involve a fine balancing act. By all means, engage with each other while finding out as much background information as is necessary to connect. But you need to hold certain things back. Where both genders will find common ground is in regarding too much information being shared on social media as a bad thing. If you’re enjoying a fun time getting to know each other online, steadily building a rapport, then this is something you should keep private.

No male will want to see himself tagged in Facebook conversations as his new partner gushes about him to her friendship circle. This will instill the same response from a woman discovering her love life is the subject of widespread speculation. In fact, you shouldn’t really have any sort of connection on social media until you’ve reached a stage where your online partnership is ready to migrate to the offline world.