It's Just Lunch :: The Dating Tips Blog

Cyber Chemistry

Now more than ever it’s easier to reach people over technology. Ridiculously easy. Between texting, Facebooking, Skyping, emailing....(insert 30 more platforms here) you can connect with your second cousin’s best friend’s sister on her trip to Thailand while you’re shopping on Amazon, watching On-demand, and IMing with your mom. Technology is time-saving and convenient. But, can it also be personal when you really need it to be? 

 

It’s Just Lunch® says Absolutely! We know that dating relationships take work and as busy professionals, your time is limited as it is. But, this doesn’t have to stand in the way of being available to continue to get to know someone, even if they aren’t across the table from you, or even across town. For those times that you’re apart from the person you’re dating, why not utilize the best part of technology to keep the chemistry going in your relationship? 

 

The next time you’re separated from your someone because you’re being held hostage by that dreaded convention, why not set up a Cyber Date? After all, just because you’re temporarily far away from each other doesn’t mean that you can’t have an exciting date! (fingers crossed that the wifi in your hotel is working of course). 

So here are the steps:

Be serious about it, like you would for a real date. 

Set a time. 

Get primped. 

Maybe grab a glass of wine. 

Turn off the phone and turn ON the computer. 

Your someone will definitely love that you’re willing to make time for them in the middle of your other responsibilities.

Enjoy making those Cyber Sparks fly!

 

Social Media Face Off

You’ve been there. Meeting someone new for the first time and even before you can sit down at the table...You spot it. The Third Wheel that brings a big fat rain cloud all over your Happy Hour. The cell phone. Doesn’t matter if it’s the latest, prettiest, most polite, speaking better grammar at you than your professors. It’s still got the capability of crashing the potential of a first date.

 

Why have we become so obsessed with our phones, especially with social media, that we’ve forgotten the importance of real, live, connections? It seems to be an epidemic no matter what age you are. You know what your dorm-mate from undergrad ate for breakfast this morning, but the name of your date across the table is a little foggy.

 

We at It’s Just Lunch® were fascinated by this phenomenon, and conducted a survey of men and women to find out how folks felt about social media etiquette on a date and it’s presence at the table.

 

The response was overwhelming in favor of pocketing social media on a date.

89.7% of men said that it was “rude” and they never check and 91.3% of women agreed.

Only 5.5% of men, and 4.9% of women said they would check, if their date was checking too.

A VICTORY for dates for everywhere! Sorry Facebook. You lose. Dates win.

 

Wanted: Activity Partner

Sharing in activities and adventures is an important part of any relationship, but can opposite interests derail a potential match? Our latest It’s Just Lunch survey uncovered some interesting results.

A small majority of men (40%) and women (48%) said they would be open to exploring new ideas, but worried about one person’s interests dominating over the other. But 35% of men and 28% of women saw a lack of common interests as a real concern—and another 10% of both men and women saw it as a deal breaker altogether.

Sometimes, one person will have more life experiences than the other, such as travel, work, et cetera. Could this also create a dilemma? Our respondents say no, with 84% of both men and women saying they wouldn’t mind learning from someone who had more experience as well as being able to share in those experiences in the future.

Its Just Lunch’s take: Obviously, a world-class triathlete and a couch-potato gamer might not match well. But there is something to be said for a mutual understanding that you can’t have everything in common. Still, being open to trying to new things and sharing in adventures will lay the foundation for an exciting and rewarding relationship. 

 

Geekology and Dating

Our gadget-obsessed, high-tech world has embraced the idea of “geek” as chic, whether it’s in television with hit shows like The Big Bang Theory or adding a pair of smart specs to your accessory bin.  But how does this trend translate into the dating world?

We discovered that the majority of people, 73% of men and 64% of women say nerdy qualities in a partner are cool, even normal for this day and age. But still, almost one out of four men and almost one out of three women think they would be turned off by someone who is a hard core geek.

It’s Just Lunch’s take: Intelligence is definitely sexy. Show your geeky side, but don’t let it dominate—unless perhaps you’re with a fellow geek. It’s one thing to flex your brain, but if it leads to awkward behavior then you’re doing it wrong. 

 

Long Distance Detour

So you’ve just met your PERFECT Match (Thank you It’s Just Lunch®!). You two connected from day one, the dates are flowing like Champagne (the real good stuff from France), and you feel like the pace of your relationship is at the perfect speed for your life right now (no nauseating NASCAR thrill rides but definitely not stuck in the slow lane either).

It’s all going great until you turn the corner and find an unexpected Detour sign: 

The PROMOTION. 

Speed-Limit Strictly Enforced 

With more time on the road without you, ahead. 

Your wonderful (and successful) someone is going to be traveling a lot more. Cue the gritting of teeth and the Journey songs. But before you throw up your hands and start desperately looking for an off-ramp, here are some real Detour Details.

In the first 3 months of dating. 37% of couples can find themselves in some sort of long distance relationship (versus the disgustingly happy couples that live in the same town).

In the first 6 months, that number can reach 42%. 

After 8 months, that number falls to 11%*.

The results of the complete study found that the staying power, of a compatible couple dealing with long distance, was just as strong as those couples who never were apart. So It’s Just Lunch® wants to let you know that long distance detours don’t mean the end of the dating road trip-just a change of scenery. 

 

*Study conducted by The Center for the Study of Long Distance Relationships