In a world where technology forms a part of almost every aspect of your life, it’s no surprise that even dating has gone digital.

Where once professional matchmakers or well-meaning friends took it upon themselves to get two people to meet, dating applications are a go-to for many Malaysians now. Even so, that doesn’t mean romance has become any easier.

In fact, if you’ve spent enough time online looking for a date, you would have learned just how strange some people actually are.

Here are a few lessons you will come to quickly learn while swiping left and right on a dating app. Have you experienced any of these first-hand?

1. There are way too many creeps online

This applies especially on the sketchier dating apps, but in all honesty, you can find creepy people lurking on almost any one of them. They are the sort who just want one thing, and it is clearly not a long-term relationship.

Well, some people have needs and if two like-minded people find each other, they can have a good romp together – and who’s to judge them, right?

However, many people often find sexually suggestive messages in their inbox from a profile which sets off alarms. While everyone has their own preferences in the bedroom, perhaps starting a conversation with a lewd request might not be the way to go about it.

2. Some people make poor photographers

On almost any dating app, the first thing you see of a potential suitor is their profile picture. First impressions count, do they not?

Yet, many profiles are of rather unflattering images, which undeniably harms the first impression they leave on you.

It is not really a matter of looks; you can look like an underwear model, but if your photo makes you appear unappealing, that is exactly what people are going to think you are.

That’s not even mentioning the photos of creepy predators, which often involve bared skin or unwelcomed appendages.

And what of the profiles without any photos whatsoever? Sure, perhaps you lack confidence to show yourself, but why are you on a dating app in the first place then?

3. Some people can’t even write a decent bio 

Photos may catch a potential suitor’s attention, but it’s your biography which really helps people decide if you are worth chatting up.

After all, it is difficult starting up a conversation with a complete stranger without it coming off as comically unnatural.

Having a well-written biography thus helps break the ice and lays out any personal interests that another may share with you.

Yet, in the local online dating sphere, you would be hard-pressed to find profiles that have more than a single terse line describing themselves.

Sometimes, you’ll come across dating profiles without a biography at all, leaving you to fill in the blanks yourself!

Having a biography, on the other hand, even if it’s not lengthy, is a good sign as you are willing to take the effort to promote yourself at the very least.

4. Racism is rife

In a multi-racial country like Malaysia, you might expect interracial relationships to be perfectly common.

However, when it comes to online dating, superficial matters such as skin colour unfortunately do result in almost immediate rejections.

Now, to be perfectly clear, everyone has preferences, but when you are singling out ethnicities that you reject, that is something of an issue.

There are quite tragic tales out there where people find themselves blocked by someone they were happily chatting with because they were of the “wrong” ethnicity.

5. Keep your expectations low, or better yet – expect nothing

While technology theoretically can bridge people, it still doesn’t mean that online dating will necessarily net you the partner of your dreams.

More often than not, you will message people who do catch your eye, only to receive silence in response.

It is hard to say whether they are intimidated by you, are unattracted or just aren’t spending the energy to respond to any messages whatsoever.

Even if they do respond to you, there’s always the possibility they will eventually just stop altogether, the dreaded act of “ghosting”.

Hence, the best approach to online dating is simply to be hopeful but be aware that chances are you will find someone out there in the ‘real’ world rather than online.