FROM THE WEB: ’20 online dating cliches – and what they really mean’ – BBC Magazine

The BBC have published an article on the meaning behind 20 online dating profile cliches.

Reporter Claire Spencer collects the thoughts of dating bloggers, consultants and industry experts to dissect the most commonly seen phrases on dating sites.

These range from the embarrassed, “I’m new to this, so here goes” – to the meaningless, “I love laughing”, to the pretentious – “I don’t watch TV”.

Spencer also finds out that men lie most often about their height and their salary, women about their weight and age, apparently to emphasise their “child-bearing potential”.

Some of these cliches betray an uncomfortableness about being on a dating site, which manifests in overcompensating or feigning unfamiliarity with the process.

Referenced is the widely-covered Pew Internet report from last year, which showed that the stigma around online dating has decreased in recent years – but there is still work to be done, by dating companies and their users.

See the article here.