First dates are either filled with expectations, or devoid of any expectations at all. But no matter the scenario, you probably wouldnāt expect for your date, shortly after your very first outing, to text and ask for an oddly specific, oddly modern favour: that you turn on your read receipts.
This is exactly the horror story that befell Eric Dimitratos, a 33-year-old New Yorker who, in a now-viral thread on Twitter, posted evidence of the bewildering request.
āClick on my contact. Press The āI.ā Then turn on read receipts,ā Dimitratosās just-first-date writes.
Baffled as anyone would be, Dimitratos writes back, āWhat!?!ā
What!?!ā indeed. For many of those with iPhones, the āread receiptā feature can act as tyrannical messaging option.
Turning the feature on means the other person will automatically see exactly what time you opened their message. Even better: theyāll be certain of when youāve chosen not to reply. (The same is true on apps like Whatsapp, Instagram direct message, and Facebook Messenger, which indicate whether someone has seen your message.)
Many Twitter users gathered under Dimitratosās tweet to offer some advice, like, for example, āturn around and run far, far away immediately.ā
Of course, read receipts have become a major contention in the world of modern dating, in which someone reading your message and not responding automatically means that your connection has fizzled out like a flat glass of gin and tonic.
Never mind the other timelines, where the person might
a) be too busy to reply immediately
b) have a nosy roommate who opened the message
c) have literally any perfectly valid reason for not answering your text.
Anyway, the consensus seems to be that asking someone to turn on their read receipts after a first date isnāt exactly the best dating practice. Itās normal to want to have a conversation with someone, but asking to opt into a situation where you can monitor their texting habits can come off as possessive or demanding, even if it isnāt intended that way.
In fact, there are a bunch of things you probably shouldnāt do on or after a first date, so to avoid your dinner becoming the heated subject of a viral Twitter thread, or an article like this one, here are a couple of things you might consider avoiding the next time youāre on one.
Donāt talk about your ex
Not. The. Time.
Using a first date as a forum to discuss your past loves ā whether trashing or exalting them ā is a surefire way of proving you arenāt over your last relationship. No one needs to hear about how your ex used to [insert weird thing]. Most people have exes, but it doesnāt mean they need to be randomly invoked.
Donāt show up late, even if youāre trying to be āfashionableā
Thereās an idea floating around the world that showing up to things late is in some way charming, a subtle quality that shows you arenāt too eager or were busy doing something absolutely urgent. But arriving to a date late can also give the impression that you donāt care, or donāt respect the other personās time.
If you are going to be late ā for whatever reason ā let the person know ahead of time, so they arenāt waiting around in confusion or frustration.
Donāt invite your friends
Itās completely OK to feel nervous about meeting someone new. But instead of having a friend accompany you on a date with someone, consider settling for a pre-date pep talk, or schedule some time with friends for afterward.
Donāt be glued to your phone
Nobody likes to feel theyāre being ignored (hence the āturn on your read receiptsā guy). If youāre on a date, spending too much time on your phone, rather than on the person in front of you, can come off as a disinterest. Your phone will be there after the date, and if the text or call is urgent, let your date know, so they donāt think youāve checked out.
Donāt interrupt
If youāre on a date, thereās some vague social contract that assumes youāre actually in some way interested in them. Talking over someone is impolite, and makes it seem as though what they have to say doesnāt matter, or worse, that you think youāre more important than they are.
A conversation canāt happen with just one person ā¦ so let the other person speak.