Know the odds of online dating

Talk to people's faces virtually before considering meeting in person

Q- My friend is a smart, attractive woman, early-40s, who has adapted brilliantly to the pandemic by creating a whole new business for herself.

She divorced after an early marriage, no kids. She has had a few serious relationships since.

She learned early how to date effectively online. Also, until COVID-19 presented dangerous health risks, she could confidently decide whether she was interested in a guy or just in sex.

She purposefully hadn’t dated since last March. Then, she recently went online and “liked” a guy who liked her – i.e. he liked her alluring photos.

She agreed to meet him a few days later. They sat socially distanced in a park and talked. She thought it went well, but after sending her one nice message, she hasn’t heard from him again.

Now, my friend’s feeling hurt and rejected. She thinks she was a disappointment to him because she looked ordinary that day, and not the embodiment of her sexy image in online photos.

I can’t understand why she’s taking this one rare disappointing response so hard.

I care a lot about her. How can I help her see all that she has to offer towards a relationship, beyond just her image?

Surprising Reaction

A- For all those people who’ve found online dating frustrating and disappointing, please note:

The success stories you’ve heard/read of couples happily paired, even married, through dating sites, are a small percentage of those whose dating efforts went nowhere and left people feeling rejected instead of understanding that those were the odds.

Too many wannabe-daters, like your friend, are chatting to photos superficially (at best).

What’s needed is being yourself online, while talking/seeing other's faces in real time, not just a camera-shot of a sexy person, but someone smiling, asking questions, describing their interests – real people, not just images of them trying to look hot or appear vulnerable to a hookup.

Some dating apps are introducing ways people can learn more about each other before deciding whether to even meet virtually.

But until date-seekers recognize that online dating should be redefined as online meeting, the hurtful shadow of rejection will hang around an imperfect mode of seeking wishful images, instead of real people.

Q– I’m a single dad. My wife had mental health issues after our daughter was born.

Though we tried to get her help, she succumbed and died when our child was three. Our community stayed close and we emerged OK.

Now my daughter’s eight, at school with her usual friends. But one classmate in her same cohort has stopped including her in any after-school playdates.

As soon as school’s over, she ignores my daughter.

I’ve tried to discuss this with her parents, but they’ve also gone somewhat cold.

I don’t know what has changed since school started again for our children and I don't know what to do. Left-Out Daughter

A– Something’s given your child’s classmate the impression that your daughter’s now “different”.

Perhaps the other girl’s parents feared that a genetic factor was involved in your wife’s condition or that their own child’s too young to handle knowing that a parent can die.

Meantime, an innocent child is being excluded from the after-school camaraderie and self-confidence that personal friendships provide.

Speak directly to the girl’s parents and ask if they’re aware of a particular issue involved.

Explain that, whatever it is, their input is important for all children, including theirs, to learn what community support means to someone so young who’s suffered a loss.