For all those singles out there who are sick of going on terrible first dates, a dating site called did a survey to find out the top 10 first date mistakes. Sure we all know talking about your ex is a bad idea, but what are some of the other things you must not do on a first date? The site did a survey of 1300 singles from the US. Some of their answers are obvious but some might surprise you.
1) Number 1 Behavior Deal Breaker: Getting very drunk
There is a difference between having a small glass of wine for some Dutch courage before a first date and getting stupidly drunk over dinner. 1 in 2 surveyed consider it a deal breaker so keep it together people; getting wrecked on a date is a big no-no.
2) Number 1 Outfit Deal Breaker: T-shirt with offensive/childish slogan
Almost 70% of those surveyed agreed that offensive or childish slogans on T-shirts are a massive first date faux-par. You might find your t-shirt hilarious but leave it at home on a date; they are unlikely to be impressed and it will probably be at the cost of a second date.
3) Number 1 Conversation Deal Breaker: Mentioning upcoming dates
One would think this is pretty obvious but a large amount of people experience their date speaking about upcoming dates they’ve set up. Naturally hearing about your other dates is hugely off-putting for the person who is currently on a date with you so don’t mention them! You never know, if your date goes well you may not have to go on the other ones.
4) Number 1 Post date Deal Breaker: Bombarding with texts
Of course it’s nice to feel a date went well and sending one text telling the person you enjoyed meeting them is fine, but bombarding them with messages is just silly. In fact 44% of said it was a deal breaker for them so be careful; you don’t want to spoil a good date by being too keen post date.
5) Dating Deal breaker: Checking your phone constantly
It’s not rocket science. Obviously if you’re sat on your phone throughout an entire date, you are not engaging with the person you are with and can come across as disinterested. In fact, men in particular disliked this and 60% consider it a deal breaker. Put the phone away and enjoy the moment; everything else can wait.
6) Wearing a suit and tie
People tend to like nice-but-casual dates – so much so that wearing a suit and tie is deemed as much of a first date fashion faux-pas as turning up in active wear. In fact 83% of those surveyed would prefer to go for a casual coffee on a first date (no suit and tie necessary!).
7) Taking pictures of your meal
Bad news for fans of the Hefe filter: taking photos of your food is definitely off-putting. In fact it’s considered even worse than common dating deal-breakers like not offering to split the bill! Eat the food, don’t photograph it.
8) Getting out your selfie stick during dinner
It might be wise to forget your camera altogether, as mid-date selfies are also frowned upon. Indeed, hated by men in particular (12% consider this a deal breaker), selfies are an even bigger first date sin than not tipping.
9) Listening carefully to your dates stories
68% of those singles surveyed would rather their date spoke too much on first meeting. So those who think you need to be a good listener on a date can take a sigh of relief – chat away!
10) Adding your date on Facebook
You should wait before sending that friend request: 1 in 5 singles would be put off of a second date with someone who immediately added them on social media, men more so than women.
The dating no-nos that are not as bad as you think
Being a bad kisser!
A tiny 3% of singles consider being a bad kisser a deal-breaker, making it a far more minor offence than any of the deal-breakers above!
Not tipping!
Americans are usually pretty adamant about tipping (and there are plenty of studies suggesting that people would dump their date for not doing it) but surprisingly our survey revealed that a tiny 5% of respondents consider it a deal breaker making it one of the lowest on the list!
How much of a big deal are deal breakers?
Do deal-breakers matter? Considering that 74% of those singles surveyed would be prepared to end a date early over a deal-breaker (and that 32% have already done so), the answer is most likely yes.
