s/o the Washington Post Date Lab

[Anonymous]

I love reading it for pure entertainment purposes but….. WTH? Why would anyone sign up for it?

Wouldn’t one feel humiliated by being put on the spot like that, with your full name and picture and workplace, and then have an open comment section evaluating why you shouldn’t get a second date? Maybe it’s just me, being a more private person, but I couldn’t imagine signing up to have your shortcomings exposed like that.

Interestingly, I found the only successful-somewhat matches were when they occasionally featured older folks. There were a pair of 50s and 60-something couples that appeared to have a genuinely good time, not hung up on each other’s bullcrap, and not annoyingly shallow. Maybe they should stick to middle aged and senior dating (also heartening to know it’s not a lost cause at that age)

[Anonymous]

They do a terrible job of matching people up, as does the panel on Married at first site. I can tell within 30 seconds how it is going end. And 90% of the time I am right.

[Anonymous]

For the younger crowd, it's fascinating how they date...you can tell it's a generation grown up with iphones and instant gratification. They feel like they should be able to order their perfect spouse on postmates and aren't remotely open to even trying. And they do this with zero self-awareness. GenZ may end up worse than millenials and that's saying something!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For the younger crowd, it's fascinating how they date...you can tell it's a generation grown up with iphones and instant gratification. They feel like they should be able to order their perfect spouse on postmates and aren't remotely open to even trying. And they do this with zero self-awareness. GenZ may end up worse than millenials and that's saying something!

Lol, like women being overly picky about mates only started when smart phones were developed.

[Anonymous]

I like reading Date Lab, too! I read it every week, even though the dates usually don't continue. It's nice light fluff I like it to read while I'm waking up sipping my coffee on the weekend.

[Anonymous]

I’m amazed at how many young people say the date was great, no major flaws but decide there is no immediate “spark” so never see each other again. That is definitely instant gratification culture gone wrong. These young folks are never going to find real love.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed at how many young people say the date was great, no major flaws but decide there is no immediate “spark” so never see each other again. That is definitely instant gratification culture gone wrong. These young folks are never going to find real love.

I don't think that they'll never find love. They're just too nervous to say that they didn't find the other person attractive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed at how many young people say the date was great, no major flaws but decide there is no immediate “spark” so never see each other again. That is definitely instant gratification culture gone wrong. These young folks are never going to find real love.

I don't think that they'll never find love. They're just too nervous to say that they didn't find the other person attractive.

Yeah, this is it. Much better to not continue going out with someone you're not sexually attracted to, it is a huge waste of time.

[Anonymous]

My friend was on it a few years ago. I thought it was quite a bold move as he's gay but hadn't come out to everyone yet, but his employer is the type not to care luckily. His date didn't work out, but he met other people who read Date Lab and contacted him based on that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed at how many young people say the date was great, no major flaws but decide there is no immediate “spark” so never see each other again. That is definitely instant gratification culture gone wrong. These young folks are never going to find real love.

Agree. It's nuts.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My friend was on it a few years ago. I thought it was quite a bold move as he's gay but hadn't come out to everyone yet, but his employer is the type not to care luckily. His date didn't work out, but he met other people who read Date Lab and contacted him based on that.

I think this is why most people do it, and why most of the dates don't work out.

[Anonymous]

I think the most recent one was where the woman had plans to move overseas in a few months, so they guy thought it was a dealbreaker?
Yeah, I'm pretty sure for an older couple, one of it would not find it a dealbreaker. In my 30s, I started dating my now-DH about 4 weeks before he was going to move across the ocean to his home country. We'd been casual friends for about 2 months already but I didn't see him often, though I was into him.
We decided to keep the relationship going long-distance, and after 8 months away, he was able to return. We've been together 20 yrs now.
But we were older. I knew he was a great match for me and would be worth the long-distance uncertainty. A younger person might have less dating/life experience to use as comparison.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed at how many young people say the date was great, no major flaws but decide there is no immediate “spark” so never see each other again. That is definitely instant gratification culture gone wrong. These young folks are never going to find real love.

I don't think that they'll never find love. They're just too nervous to say that they didn't find the other person attractive.

Yeah, this is it. Much better to not continue going out with someone you're not sexually attracted to, it is a huge waste of time.

Sometimes the chemistry develops on the second or third date. Sometimes friends don’t fall in love until years after they first met.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like reading Date Lab, too! I read it every week, even though the dates usually don't continue. It's nice light fluff I like it to read while I'm waking up sipping my coffee on the weekend.

This forum serves the same purpose... light fluff to read while avoiding work...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m amazed at how many young people say the date was great, no major flaws but decide there is no immediate “spark” so never see each other again. That is definitely instant gratification culture gone wrong. These young folks are never going to find real love.

I don't think that they'll never find love. They're just too nervous to say that they didn't find the other person attractive.

Yeah, this is it. Much better to not continue going out with someone you're not sexually attracted to, it is a huge waste of time.

Sometimes the chemistry develops on the second or third date. Sometimes friends don’t fall in love until years after they first met.

And a lot of ot times it doesn't. As for friends in every story of friends later turning into more that I have heard there was always attraction, but the timing was always off.