It’s 2017 and it seems like the dating world is getting more and more confusing.
I mean, come on, there’s an app for everything these days and it’s hard to keep up with what’s acceptable and what isn’t.
That’s why Erotic Book Reviews has your back and wants to make sure you know what’s in and what’s out when it comes to dating.
We’ve put together this guide on dating etiquette we’ve all heard and why we should ignore them in 2017 if you want to win the dating game and find your special someone. And if you want to see more, make sure to check out the rest of our blog.
Keep following those traditional gender roles
2017 is going to be a year of switching things up. A lot of people say that you’ll want to follow gender roles and wait for a guy to ask you out or make the first move.
Be bold and go for what you want. You don’t have to follow traditional gender roles and just sit idly by and hope that he’ll pick up on your signals.
You can modernize your relationship by asking for his number after a conversation where you two had a connection. When you two go out on a date, offer to pay for your half or make sure he knows you’ll be paying the tab on date #2.
No sex on the first date
Dating etiquette has basically always said that you should not have sex on the first date or to save your first kiss for a few dates in.
These days, we have a choice: we can follow this rule if we want. We can wait until the third date or even have sex before the first date.
That’s the beauty of owning it and not having to follow outdating etiquette rules unless we want to.
So, if you want to have sex on the first date– do it! You don’t need to follow someone else’s advice unless you want to.
Don’t text first (or respond quickly)
Here’s one piece of dating etiquette that never really clicked with me.
Why can’t you text first? Because of this bit of advice, we’ve all probably spent a few days in agony wondering if he’s going to text or not.
Be honest, you’ve probably jumped up after you heard your text go off just knowing it’s him– finally!
Except then it’s actually a message from your mom reminding you that you have plans for a family video chat later that day.
If you want to take over the dating game in 2017, text first and end this waiting nonsense. The sooner you get to talking, the sooner you can figure out if you want to pursue a relationship or not.
The same kind of advice also goes for not texting back too quickly. This dating etiquette rule means that you have to wait to respond to a text even if you saw it right away and he’s texting back quickly.
It’s supposed to show that you’re not too interested, that you’re busy, and that you’re being nonchalant about your chat. There’s nothing wrong with not texting back if you’re actually busy or didn’t see the text, but why wait?
Remember that texting is all about being able to communicate quickly and on the go.
Following that “don’t text back until it’s double the time it took him to respond to you” is just adding a lot of math into your life that you don’t need.
Arguing shows you care
A lot of people believe that couples who argue are really just showing that they care.
This bit of dating etiquette is one that you should probably ignore.
There’s no reason to think that fighting all the time means that you care and are “fighting for the relationship.” Chances are that the constant arguments are masking something deeper than needs to be worked out in the relationship.
Don’t get me wrong, little or big arguments that come up every now and then aren’t deal breakers.
Sometimes constant arguing is actually a step towards emotional and verbal abuse, which is never good. And it certainly doesn’t automatically mean that the person cares about you.
The same goes for couples who don’t fight often at all– it doesn’t mean that they don’t care. Instead, they may just have a different communication style that lets them avoid those big explosions.
So throw these pieces of advice out the window and do your own thing. Work on communication that doesn’t involve fights and it’ll be obvious that you care.
Don’t go to bed angry
We’ve probably all heard this bit of dating etiquette: “don’t go to bed angry.”
Now, it’s a good idea to work out problems or arguments as soon as you can. But this doesn’t mean staying up until 4 am when you two are already fuming and on the verge of breaking up.
Sleeping on it can sometimes be the best move you make if you’ve been in a heated argument.
Go out for a dinner and movie
As far as first dates go, the dinner and movie combo are likely to go down in history as the most suggested date.
But you need to ignore that urge and pick something else for your first date if you really want to be able to connect and stand out from the crowd.
Think about it: dinner could go super well and you two could be having the time of your lives talking. Then dinner is over and you have an 8 pm movie to catch. Welcome to sitting next to each other for 2 hours in silence.
Going to a movie totally kills any vibe or conversation you two were having before you walked into that theater.
There’s also the risk that your date won’t like the movie you’re seeing. While pretty minor, these are problems you could avoid if the movie was cut out of the equation and saved for a later date.
Instead, go for dinner and a walk around downtown. Or do something before dinner, that way you two will have plenty of things to talk about during the meal.
This can be the year your love life finally comes together. Follow these dating etiquette tips and you’ll be on the road to success in no time.
