In our Love App-tually series , Mashable shines a light into the foggy world of online dating. It is cuffing season after all. Let's be real: Ain't nobody got time to waste on online dating. Yet for busy single people, dating apps and websites feel like a necessary evil to meeting people. How else are you going to do it? But if you're not careful, finding suitable partners whether for the long- or short-term in an endless sea of digital fish can turn into a full-time job.

Timeline of online dating services



10 Things I Learned When I Quit Online Dating | Glamour
Gearing up for your first online date? Meet up for coffee, take a hike together, go for a stroll around a cool part of town, etc. This will give you a chance to see if any chemistry exists before committing to something more involved. Now if things go well initially you may want to have a back-up plan for how you can continue the date.


Online Dating & Relationships
Everyone should know the drill- do a simple Google search before meeting your date. If possible, try to find pictures and see what additional information comes up about the person beyond Facebook and Instagram. To take your safety a step further, get a free Google Voice phone number. Keep your personal number secure and only for people you feel comfortable with. Today, there are so many ways to video chat with the ability to use FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Skype and even Facebook for video calls.



Dating is tough these days. Then it was at work. And with the advent of dating apps and websites, our potential to meet our future lobster has grown exponentially. That was, until the last few months….