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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Has anyone stopped online dating?

180 replies

XmasHollie · 06/12/2020 17:57

It's so boring!! I've deleted my account. anyone else?

OP posts:
Isitreally77 · 07/12/2020 21:13

@Onacleardayyoucansee I'm on that thread. I thought I was quite a confident woman, I worked on myself this year after being stood up and ghosted last year and decided to try OLD again. Matched with the guy I mentioned earlier, spent a month chatting to him then he ghosted me a couple of weeks ago and I became a crying mess last week.

notsurewhattodo22 · 07/12/2020 21:24

Agree about avoidant / narcissistic men...sums up my last one 100%. I should have seen the signs when he told me lots of other women dropped him pronto!

Mermaidwaves · 07/12/2020 21:27

It's comforting to know I'm not the only one who finds it so vile although makes me extremely sad that some of you have been hurt too. Online dating has really affected my self esteem and its had me convinced that I'm completely unloveable and deeply unattractive. I'm sure we can't all be these things so it must be the men on there, I'm guessing that it attracts the most dysfunctional men in society. On the contrary I think that the women are higher quality but I can't explain why. I've looked at a male friends profile and the women mostly seem decent.

notsurewhattodo22 · 07/12/2020 21:32

My self esteem is shot too mermaid. I also don't understand why there are more normal women than men but definitely true!

This year's experience has made me feel stupid, naive and really worthless.

Mumteedum · 07/12/2020 21:37

So is it just something we accept then? Of just being alone or hoping it might happen the old fashioned way? If so I will be single for years if not forever 🥺 as I can't imagine how I would meet someone naturally these days. I only go to work!

Isitreally77 · 07/12/2020 21:48

It's horrible how it affects our self esteem mine is through the floor. I also feel stupid and naive

Mumteedum · 07/12/2020 22:01

It's not stupid to hope that someone is what they appear to be. It's so disappointing when they're not and it is hard not to let it affect self esteem. It's sort of the opposite problem in a way. If you have low self esteem ( including myself here) then you will then look at it as your own failing and not theirs. Healthy self esteem would mean us saying 'they are not worthy of me.their loss'.

I can do that with the total losers (pint swilling potato headed fish holders on motorbikes) but when it's someone you really thought was the one diamond in among all the whatever the saying is... well, that's much harder.

XmasHollie · 07/12/2020 22:09

What sites are people using? I've used bumble but I dont know if it's any better than others.

OP posts:
Hope4theBestPlan4theWorst · 07/12/2020 22:33

I did it for a while and came to the conclusion I could go out and meet fruit loops (I've had a couple!) face to face without going online to do so!

I met my current partner when I was a teenager and we've always been friends then we were both single and the last 9 years is history.

It also bothers me about the security of it all, I jokingly say "fruit loops" (I'm talking a guy who turned up dressed as his hero Dr Who & someone who while I was cooking dinner dismantled my cd rack to put into alphabetical order and genres which is just a bit much) but there's been some horror stories too.

Onacleardayyoucansee · 07/12/2020 23:59

I really think I'm better off on my own, focusing on myself, pursuing my own interests, there's loads I still want to do career wise and personal growth wise.
A shit relationship would be a distraction and waste of time.
Ive lived over half my precious life already.

The most important relationship is the one we have with ourselves?
I have to live with me.
On my journey, I realised, whenever a man would devalue me/abandon me, I would abandon myself.
I've stopped doing that.
Learned that lesson.

I'm not so much interested in knowing someone else as much as knowing me.
Being there for me.
Sticking with me, whatever happens.
Being faithful to me.
True to me.
I made a commitment to myself.

I've looked at attachment disorders, love addiction and codependency, meditation, self enquiry.

I want to be in a place where what others think, say, or do does not disturb me.

We don't need to look under stones to find our issues. We know what they are. There are loads of resources out there if you want to do the work.

supercali77 · 08/12/2020 08:05

OLD is for sure not for the faint hearted. In my 3 year stint i met so many avoidant types and realised I was myself avoidant. every emotionally available, sane etc man I met i instantly considered 'dull'. Every shifty or unstable man I met i instantly classified as 'spark'. Like clockwork. So many men were in relationships. I became a victim of revenge porn. That was a fucking nightmare. Another stalkerish type after I ended it was sending Teddy bears for my daughter to my house. Basically I ran the gamut and then took a good 6 months off and figured out what boundaries are and how to lay them down. Looking back if there's one thing I regret its not them lying to me but me lying to myself. After that i met a sane and kind man on hinge. pure luck.

notsurewhattodo22 · 08/12/2020 08:50

This is such a true but sad read.

What I don't understand with these avoidant types is why they present to be / want something else when they obviously aren't into it. I was led on for ages.....

To me I really don't need or want attention from someone I'm not interested in, I would rather not bother and it would do nothing for me.

Some men just seem to crave the attention without wanting a proper relationship, leaving us confused and upset.

GreenlandTheMovie · 08/12/2020 09:04

Some of these avoidant, narcissistic men are just bloody awful. The last one I got involved with, I met in real life, not through OLD. He cheated on me, phoned me up to tell me and was almost giggling (if I'm being charitable through nervousness Ness) when he told me, by way of excuse, "I think I'm just bad at relationships".

A 40 year old man giggling that they caused someone to have to get an STD test. That was the last I heard of him. The psychological trauma of dealing with something like that is huge.

I think so many men are awful because there is so much encouragement for them to be awful - there's so much online encouraging men to play the field, telling them women are O k y out to trap them, etc and little encouragement for them to see getting married as a life goal. So instead, all these little self centred princes being produced, who have been encouraged to see themselves as a great prize, when in reality, they are very, very ordinary. And they want to have sex, so they go around leading on, ghosting and dumping in their quest for fulfillment.

My ex has dumped 3 times in the last 8 months. Me once and the woman he cheated on me with twice - I guess he only told me about her because I know her and have her on FB, so have seen it all play out and her transform from a happy go lucky woman to posting a load of depressing break up stuff.

Minikievs · 08/12/2020 09:29

I am so sad for all of us that our stories seem to be the same, no matter where we are in our lives.

My self esteem and insecurities are dreadful and each time this happens to me, they get knocked even further into the floor.

@onacleardayyoucansee your post really resonated with me. You are totally right and I know I need to focus on myself and be truly happy with myself before I can accept my own life, be that with or without a partner. But I see the sands of time slipping through my fingers and I'm terrified of being alone forever. I want to share my life with someone.

@mumteedum you are totally right. Certain blokes I can easily brush off and know I'm worth more. But when you're treated like that by someone you thought was worth more (the diamond as you put it) it's SO hard

@xmashollie I tried match, it was AWFUL. I wasn't keen on hinge but have had the most "success" (HA!!) with bumble

RainbowParadise · 08/12/2020 13:08

I'm 32 and would never ever date a man of 48 btw, to the 48 year old who commented up thread, as though we should be lucky someone still wants us Hmm

Reminds me of that bit in Bridget Jones where she is asked at the hideous dinner party why there are so many single women in their 30s.

I've been doing OLD for around two years now. I did match for a couple of months too and it was hideous, paid is honestly no better ime and if anything it was worse.

I've been on lots of dates, mostly never progresses beyond a first date. By accident I kind of ended up in a habit of dating younger guys as frankly they looked better and were more fun. This was fine at first and I was never bothered about really serious (was fresh out of horrible marriage when I started and have two primary aged DC) but now maybe I'd like more.

I was casually seeing a guy 9 years younger than me for 6 months and it was addictive, he was lovely and kind and good fun, sex was great. I stupidly fell for him and ever since it ended I've struggled to find someone who lives up to the feeling I had with him.

I think it's just very difficult no matter your age or life circumstances, to find someone decent who you are attracted to and who you have a genuine connection with. It's bloody miserable though so joining in for the moan and to show some solidarity 💐

anotherdisaster · 08/12/2020 13:27

Yep me!! Been doing it off and on for 3 years. Had 3 shitty relationships and loads of time wasters. I'm done with it now.

PuckyMup · 08/12/2020 18:18

@XmasHollie

What sites are people using? I've used bumble but I dont know if it's any better than others.
Bumble, Pof, Match and Tinder. Further hampered by being a small island not part of the mainland
Eesha · 08/12/2020 18:25

When I was dating, I used Bumble and then Tinder. Match was pointless as the same faces as the free sites.

GaraMedouar · 08/12/2020 19:14

I’ve been on Bumble and Tinder , the free versions , since lockdown. Pretty dire, I’ve messaged a few but not met up for any dates. I’m 51 , and a single mum so difficult for me anyway (DD’s dad doesn’t ever have her overnights so no nights off for me). I’m thinking of just giving it all up til she’s 18, (and I’m 60).

So many men with fish. Why oh why? Grin

XmasHollie · 08/12/2020 20:00

Anyone tried e harmony? I'm getting to the stage where I cant be bothered to even instigate a conversation

OP posts:
again2020 · 08/12/2020 21:09

I'm not single but I tried online dating for a couple of years in my mid 20s, Guardian soulmates was fab and met some decent men, nothing came of it but they were nice intelligent people and one still occasionally speaks to me as a friend 10 years on.
My brother met his 2 last girlfriend's on Bumble (he's 33) and I know another friend who met her fiance on Hinge (at 34).

XmasHollie · 08/12/2020 21:43

I haven't had sex for 6 months Xmas Shock

OP posts:
coronaway · 08/12/2020 23:49

For me once I accepted I'm likely going to be alone forever at 38 years old it became a lot easier to deal with. I'm thankful I don't want children otherwise I'm not sure what my mental state would be in.

Also just to add I found the paid sites worse than the free ones!

Minikievs · 09/12/2020 08:14

@XmasHollie

Anyone tried e harmony? I'm getting to the stage where I cant be bothered to even instigate a conversation
I tried it a few years back, as a friend of friend met her "perfect" DH on it (don't they all)

It cost me over £100 Shock

I think I opened it twice. Dreadful.

A pp is right. All the blokes on the paid sites are on the free sites anyway. Stick with Tinder Bumble and Hinge. They are all frogs no matter what site you're on

XmasHollie · 09/12/2020 09:13

I cant believe how many people are on every single site! I've deleted mine all.

OP posts: