Nearly half of singletons have received an unwanted nude photo or been stood up on a date | The Sun
MORE than half of single adults feel empowered to call out bad dating behaviour – as they find it frustrating and exhausting.
A poll of 4,000 singletons who are actively dating found 28 per cent are tired of negative experiences when looking for love, while 33 per cent get easily irritated.
Being ghosted without explanation (43 per cent), getting stood up on a date (40 per cent) and receiving unsolicited nude pictures (40 per cent) are some of the main bugbears of those polled.
This has led to 44 per cent doubting they will ever meet someone while 35 per cent say their confidence is negatively impacted.
As a result, 54 per cent are ready to call out these unnecessary behaviours, with 74 per cent planning a 'spring clean' to improve their overall dating experience.
Nearly half (49 per cent) point to 'knowing their self worth' as the reason they are comfortable calling out undesirable dating behaviours.
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And 26 per cent will be un-matching or unfollowing any potential love interests if they don’t fit the bill.
The research was commissioned by dating app, Plenty of Fish, which has partnered with author and life coach, Michelle Elman, to create the ‘Desirable Dating Guide’ .
It shares advice on how singles can tackle undesirable dating behaviours and engineer more positive experiences.
Michelle Elman said: “Helping daters understand and navigate different behaviours on their dating journey is something I’m really passionate about, which is why I’ve partnered with Plenty of Fish to create the Desirable Dating Guide.
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"The guide highlights some of the negative behaviours and experiences that can occur in the dating world, while also shining a light on how singles can enact some positive change.
"We’re encouraging daters to reflect on their experiences, and hope to foster a culture where online dating is both respectful and rewarding, and offer advice for how people can show up as their best, authentic selves while on the journey.”
Receiving unsolicited nude pictures proves a prevalent issue as nearly half of singles (48 per cent) have previously been sent unsolicited pictures from a match or date – making them feel uncomfortable and disgusted (45 per cent).
The average app user has received an average of five nude pictures in their dating history with this happening more to women (55 per cent) than men (38 per cent).
Taking matters into their own hands, 46 per cent will now always trust their instincts and immediately end the conversation if they have any doubts about their match.
What’s more, 19 per cent will share a potential date’s details with friends and family in advance, according to the study carried out via OnePoll.
But 69 per cent would like to see dating apps continue to do more to encourage positive behaviours – with 72 per cent of women feeling this way.
One of the top ways singles are spring cleaning their love life is to be kind and respectful to anyone they come into contact with, making sure the experience remains positive (47 per cent).
And 44 per cent will represent themselves in a true and authentic way while 38 per cent will make sure their profile is as accurate as possible.
Other personal improvements to be made include exercising more regularly (58 per cent), getting more sleep (55 per cent) and prioritising self-care (52 per cent).
As 82 per cent agree the benefits of self-improvement can lead to greater self-awareness and success when dating.
To further combat this problem, Plenty of Fish is launching the ‘Share My Date’ feature for users to share key details of their date with a trusted contact.
Shannon Smith, resident dating expert for the dating app, said: “Providing a welcoming dating destination for singles is of the utmost importance to us.
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“The realities of dating can bring lots of highs and lows, but we believe it should be a fun experience. Dating is an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and get out of your comfort zone.
“We created the Desirable Dating Guide to continue important conversations in dating and remind singles that they should never accept less than they deserve while looking for love.”
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