Online messaging. It can be tricky… Will they understand I’m being sarcastic? Is that emoji too much? Where do they stand on capitals or exclamation marks (on punctuation, period)? Is txt language the way to go? What about a well-placed comma here and there? Have they heard of that saying before? Am I overthinking this?
The digital dating world opens up myriad confusions and self-doubts, often getting in the way of some quality chat. Here are five top tips to achieve some quality conversation (with a strong likelihood of a bit of banter!).
Don’t overload your message with questions, but finish each chat with an answer that elicits a response, or an appropriate question.
Make sure your replies have enough content for the person to respond. If someone asks if you enjoyed the festival, the reply “Yeah” is asking for the conversation to fall flat. Instead, a “Yeah, I really enjoyed it… Cardi B was insane! Are you into her music?” Gives the other person a lot more to work with.
That’s a tricky one. We recommend either having met the person in real-life first, so they get an idea of what you’re like outside of the social media realm or, having messaged them for a sustained period of time, so that when you test the waters of sarcasm, they are more likely to understand what you mean.
Play it cool with the emojis to start with, and gauge a vibe off how the other person uses them. In saying that, the classic smiley face or "okay" hands will never go amiss; however, a peach and eggplant combo after the first message might not be so well received.
Try it in a friendly, slightly humorous tone. A “Hey, what are your thoughts on coffee, 'cause I’d love to take you out for one!” is one way to do it. If that’s too bold, you can always slip in a chill “If you’re keen” at the end of that.
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