We've
got the secret for more fun online dates, with less lying and better
safety. Is it Red Bull spiked with truth serum? No, it's team
dating, the latest and greatest in online dating.
Instead of the usual online hookup for two, team daters date in
teams. Two or three of my closest pals set up a group date with two
or three of yours. Here's why we think team dating is a fabulous
idea:
Safety in Numbers
Instead of meeting a complete stranger for drink all alone, you'll
meet a throng of complete strangers, accompanied by your closest
friends. Plus, there are no worries about driving home alone -- you
know your pals will make certain you get home safely.
No Faux-tos (a.k.a Fake Photos)
Your date's friends will keep him honest. He's far less likely to
post a photo of himself when he was 20 pounds lighter with
significantly more hair and fewer wrinkles if he knows that his
friends (and yours!) will call him on it at the moment of truth,
when you all meet up for the first time. The threat of public
humiliation is a fine tool to keep us all walking the straight line.
To Tell the Truth
In the same vein, the great thing about dating someone in front of
their friends is that it keeps them honest. No remaking his two-year
stint as a ball boy in the seventh grade for the Hickory Crawdads
into a near-miss career as a major league pitcher. No glossing over
that seven-year employment gap as a period of reflection to write a
novel/live with Buddhist monks/join the Peace Corps if it was really
just chronic laziness in the form of one bad pizza-flipping gig
after another.
Testimonial
"Team dating takes the anxiety out of dating. If you're a listener
rather than a talker, it's really helpful to have other people
there," explains Elizabeth, a team dating practitioner and fan.
"It takes a lot of the pressure off a regular dating situation.
There's never a lull in conversation, because you have five other
people there to pick up the slack. Plus you won't get stuck with a
guy who might be a psycho. On the downside," she laughs, "you might
end up with three."
Why Is This Catching On So Quickly?
Frankly, its way more fun than regular online dating. If your date
turns out to be a dud, you can still have a fabulous time hanging
out with your friends. Plus, you won't have to worry about dishing
the details of your date-gone-wrong the next day over margaritas;
your closest pals will be there to witness the crash-and-burn
firsthand. Plus, team dating eliminates most of the concerns that
crop up in regular online dating: safety and honesty.
While some sites are suggesting daters register as teams, I think
this is where the concept falls apart. Say you pick out a cutie
online, then, you have to talk your team into dating the rest of his
or her team. The chances of six or eight of you matching up like
sweater sets from Talbots is pretty damned slim.
So how do you partake in team dating without forcing your dearest
friends into a triple-wingman formation? You and three of your
buddies pick out your own dates online, and meet up at a single
location, say the bowling alley or a local watering hole for your
date for eight.
At worst, your date will be a social experiment gone wrong. At best,
you and your teammates may find you've all hit a home run.
Now, that's major league dating.
Armed with these tips from the pros, your dating game just got a
whole lot smoother, sleeker and sexier. Game on.
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