Virtual dating means different things to different people. For some, it’s about keeping long-distance relationships healthy and enjoyable with regular online hookups. For others, it’s more about the occasional (or daily) live sex call with a webcam model.
But what rings true in all instances is the importance of being appropriately prepared for any kind of virtual date. At least, if you want to ensure that you both gain maximum enjoyment from the experience, a little bit of forward planning is essential.
The good news is that there really isn’t a great deal you need to do. It’s simply a case of focusing on the same kinds of things you would with a real-world date.
With this in mind, here are eight simple yet essential tips to help you prepare for an enjoyable virtual date:
1. Ensure you look the part
First up, it is essential to put as much effort into your physical presentation with a virtual date as with any conventional date in the real world. This means thinking carefully about what you will wear, getting your grooming in order, and genuinely making sure you look your best. You would expect your date to make the same effort for you, so it’s only fair that you reciprocate.
2. Check your hardware is functioning
This isn’t a euphemism – we’re talking about the actual hardware you will need to make the date happen. There’s really no bigger romance killer than a malfunctioning laptop, a crappy internet connection, or the kind of poor lighting that makes it impossible to see you properly. Before the main event, consider a few ‘dry runs’ to see how your hardware performs when put to the test. All of which will give you one less thing to worry about when on your virtual date.
3. Plan some conversation starters
You don’t want the whole thing to come across as scripted, but you also need to avoid awkward silences. A great way to do this is to plan a few basic conversation starters in advance – the kinds of mental ‘bullet points’ that will keep the conversation flowing. Her hobbies and interests, the last gig she went to, her favorite holiday destination, what she likes to cook – all simple yet effective things to keep the chat moving in the right direction.
4. Ensure you feel the part
You could argue that taking a shower, trussing yourself up and dousing yourself in your favorite cologne isn’t really necessary with a non-physical date. But you’d be wrong, as what matters more than (almost) anything else with these kinds of hookups is confidence. And it goes without saying that you cannot achieve a high level of confidence if you are not completely satisfied with yourself at the time.
5. Find your best angles
In keeping with the above, you will find it difficult to enjoy a genuinely satisfying virtual date if you are not happy with the way you look on camera. Some angles and lighting conditions make even the sexiest people on Earth look like beached whales. Your job is to experiment with these angles and lighting conditions ahead of time, in order to find your very best angles, and stick with them.
6. Set the mood and ambience
This means setting the space for your virtual date in the same way you would any real-life date taking place in your home. The right lighting, the removal of all unnecessary distractions, lighting a few candles, the right soundtrack, and so on. An appropriate backdrop really can make all the difference with a virtual date, so be sure to make the effort for the benefit of both of you.
7. Take things slow
If you’re new to the whole virtual dating thing, don’t put too much pressure on yourself to ‘perform’ like a pro. Take things slow, progress one step at a time, and be yourself. If putting on a striptease in a police officer’s uniform to hardcore techno really isn’t within your comfort zone, don’t attempt to do it.
8. Keep things happy and light-hearted
Just like relationships, the very best virtual dates are those full of smiles, laughter, and genuine enjoyment. This is no place for stuffiness, or for taking yourself too seriously. Things can and will go wrong along the way, so you need to be ready to laugh at yourself. The moment the whole thing becomes more like a job interview than an enjoyable date is the moment you may as well log off and forget about it!
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