Lara Torii downloads us on what it’s really like to use dating site OkCupid and shares her online dating tips
During a post-dinner group discussion on the landscape of modern dating, our college mentor and her husband admitted their fascination with 20-somethings and online dating. “When they were our age,” they met potential matches through friends, and the concept of online dating was completely foreign (despite the start of social media sites like MySpace and Asian Avenue). As the conversation continued, everyone weighed in on their personal experiences with dating sites and apps. Lara brought a unique perspective to the group as she’s a girl looking for girls on OkCupid. Here she gives The Single Diaries the ins and outs of her experience with the site, and offers her top tips for using OkCupid and for online dating.
I joined OkCupid last year while I was traveling in Asia. After being abroad for two years and a long-distance break-up, it was interesting to hear that online dating had somehow become trendy. Several friends told me they had good experiences with OkCupid, so I set up my profile. I didn’t intend to date anyone halfway around the world, but I was looking forward to slowly getting myself out in the dating world.
OkCupid (or OKC) is set up similarly to Facebook, which some may find to be a turn-off, but I didn’t let that faze me. I dutifully set up my “about” page, my photos, my details. Then there are the Questions. These Questions delve deeper into your habits, psyche and preferences. The Questions range in topic. How important are politics to you? Do you like to cuddle? What are you looking for in your next relationship? How often do you brush your teeth? After you answer each question, you can indicate what answers you will accept from potential matches and how important it is to you that they answer in that way. These questions and my answers are visible to other users under a tab on my profile.
When browisng other people’s profiles, they show you a compatibility percentage based on your answers. For example, I am 86% compatible with this girl, but only 45% compatible with this one. This function is helpful to narrow down the sheer volume of OKC users. It also means that OKC sends me personalized matches each week—another way to interact with the site without necessarily having to check in everyday.
After being on the site for a few months, here’s what I’ve learned from my experience on OKCupid… and what I recommend to anyone looking to start online dating.
