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Dating these days is a whole different game with the playing field happening both in-person and in the digital realm. Tatler Indonesia talks to relationship expert and sexual health activist, Andrea Gunawan on how to navigate online dating the proper way.
With the Covid-19 pandemic disrupting many aspects of life, the advance of technology comes to the rescue. One that benefits from such progress is the search for significant others through dating applications. With the rise of dating app users these days, relationship expert and Gen T honouree, Andrea Gunawan, talked about navigating this uncharted waters. “Dating apps have indeed helped lonely hearts to find their other half since 2012, and it became a booming trend during the pandemic,” she said. "However, while it offers more sparks and thrills than conventional dating, online dating also has its downside."
Based on her experience and knowledge, Andrea learned the importance of setting healthy expectations to not ending up in an endless emotional rollercoaster. “One common thing that people find difficult to avoid in online dating is being ghosted. Ghosting is the least complicated way to reject someone,” she said. The truth is, she further explained, we cannot always ask for closure from people. When someone is in this emotionally-draining loop, she suggested some self- reflection and improvement time to lower the risk of future matching with emotionally- unavailable partners.
Here are Andrea's tips on how how to navigate online dating the proper way:
1. Find dating applications that allow you to filter people based on your customized preferences. This first step helps to figure out those of interest and increase the chance of meeting a good match.
2. Write your intention and interests clearly on your bio to avoid the risk of getting mismatched.
3. Online dating could be a let-down when people set their expectations high, which leads to the risk of low self-esteem and disappointment from not finding anyone. Take it easy, enjoy the process and do not put too much hope when you decide to have a face-to-face meeting.
4. Ghosting could be one of the cruellest ways to reject someone. It is wise to not seek any closure from the person who already ghosted since they have no desire to respond anymore.
