Does your dating style need an intimacy boost? Finding it hard to get up close and personal with someone you care about? Could be you’re spending too much time saying way too little – and the endless cyber-chat is knocking the romance straight out of your inbox and into the trash bin. If this sounds like you, it’s time to log off all the digitals and dial up some better ways to communicate – here’s how.

Make Plans the Old-Fashioned Way – via Telephone
Setting up a date via e-mail can certainly be a convenient way to re-confirm a time and place, but if you’re e-planning every hook-up, things can get pretty chilly. A keypad just can’t express warmth and enthusiasm the way your voice can – so pick up the phone and try connecting the old-fashioned way, at least some of the time.

Tone Down the Texting
If you’re spending hours on end texting each other from the comfort of cyberspace – you’re playing it safe, but not necessarily smarter. Too much digital-flirting can lead to boredom and loss of interest if the two of you don’t take it to the next level. Use your cell to boost the romantic vibe, and set stage for something hotter – in person.

Keep Your Eyes on Each Other – Not your Laptop
Playing video games or surfing the web can be fun, relaxing ways to hang out together, but watch for digital over-drive. Too much screen time can pose serious problems when your honey starts to feel ignored or underappreciated. Learn to read the signals – when either of you starts getting bored or restless – it’s time to log-off and focus on each other.

Resolve Conflicts in Person
All couples fight now and then, but the way you resolve disagreements can truly make or break the relationship. E-mailing and texting might seem like hostile-free zones but, in reality, they can land you in even more hot water. The written word only goes so far in expressing hurt feelings, and misinterpretations can lead to an emotional avalanche, if you don’t have a chance to hash things out face-to-face.

Don’t Air it all on Facebook
If you’re a facebook junky in the habit of updating your every move, you may want to think again when it comes to your love life. Though it’s fine to post some of your latest pics, keep more intimate feelings to yourself. Mature relationships require discretion and privacy, and posting lots of personal details may embarrass your partner or trivialize a blossoming romance.

Of course, digital hook-ups have plenty of upsides; texting or e-mailing can help you stay connected and even ignite some post-date fireworks. Just don’t let your keypad sub too often for more intimate forms of communication, or you’ll miss important opportunities to know each other better, work through differences and, ultimately, deepen the relationship.

Relationships Facebook, Mobile Phone, SMS

Dating, as the term is used in the 21st century, has a very broad meaning. Dating is much less formal than it was 50 or even 20 years ago. Nowadays, it isn’t just the men asking women out, and it isn’t always the man that pays for a date. People meet potential dating partners in many ways now: at work, school, over the Internet, or at special events set up for single people. There is also far less pressure in the dating scene and remaining single is much more common and socially acceptable than it used to be, particularly for women.

So what does dating mean today? It can mean going out in groups, going to specially arranged social functions for single people, and participating in trendy activities like speed dating. And with the Internet penetrating every facet of modern life, it was only a matter of time before people began using the web to meet potential dating partners. With the evolution of the cell phone from simply a mobile phone to a multimedia device, the tendency of using Internet connections to find dates has become even more pronounced. Three types of dating that have grown in popularity in the 2000s are online dating, mobile dating, and virtual dating.

Online dating is fairly straightforward. There are many dating sites, some of which are free, and some of which charge fees. Some are for casual daters, and some are for people looking for a potential spouse. Typically the way they work is that a person interested in meeting someone new creates an account on a particular dating site. This usually involves entering some personal information, uploading a picture, and describing a desirable potential partner.

Online dating sites have different methods of connecting people online. Usually, members can browse other members’ profiles, or conduct a search based on age, gender, or geographical region. Members may contact other members by sending them a message, or a “wink.” The allure of online dating is the sheer volume of potential dates. For people who don’t mind traveling, even geography becomes a secondary consideration.

Mobile dating is believed to be “the next big thing” in the dating universe. People looking to meet others create a brief profile on their phone. They can search for other profiles online, or by phoning the mobile dating service’s number. Often these sites are free, only paying the text message fees imposed by the mobile phone provider. For mobile dating members who live in the same community, it is even possible to be notified if someone they’ve expressed interest in is in the near vicinity.

Virtual dating is more of a game than Internet dating and mobile dating. There are a number of sites on which people set up personal accounts, and then create an avatar, or an online animated version of themselves to interact with other avatars on the site. Both sides have to agree to reveal their real identities if they want to take their relationship beyond the virtual stage.

Dating has changed dramatically in the past few years, and it is likely that over the next decade it will change in a way most of us haven’t imagined yet. The great benefit of Internet and mobile technology is the vast number of people who can be connected regardless of where they live. It has given shy people a way to shine, and brought together loving couples who might never have met otherwise.

Dating Essentials Apps, Mobile Phone, Virtual Dating

We certainly are a technology driven world. Today, it seems we use our phones for everything. Over the last few years many online dating providers have extended their services, for example so that people can receive text flirts on their mobile phones. Some even allow you to receive alerts about members near your current location. Sophisticated phone Apps are now going above and beyond this. The saying “there’s an app for that” is taken to new heights when we consider the many possibilities of using apps for dating.

Take, for example, the application called Ratio Finder. This app, which is currently only available in New York City and San Francisco, provides a real time map of locations in the city, showing the number of males versus females at each particular location.

Using information from WeePlaces.com and the social networking site Foursquare, Ratio Finder shows who has checked in at popular restaurants and nightspots. Pink dots appear to represent the females who have checked in, while blue spots appear for males. The bigger the spot, the more visitors of that gender at that time. So, if the pink dot is bigger than the blue dot at your favorite hotspot tonight, then there are more females there than males.

Another great application for singles who are looking for a way to plan a night out is Meet Moi. This application, available for iPhone and Android uses GPS technology to update your location information in real time and sends you alerts when potential matches are in a location near yours. To use the service, you sign up and set up a profile with the service, indicating what you’re looking for in a date. Then, when you’re out and about, and a potential match is nearby, you’ll both get a message. This is a cool service, because it combines the best of online dating with meeting people in person.

So, next time you’re feeling like it’s time to meet someone new, why not let technology work in your favor?

News & Views Apps, Mobile Phone, Ratio Finder, WeePlaces.com