Texting before a first date is the norm nowadays. Especially if you met online and haven’t met IRL yet, how are you supposed to get to know each other? It’s totally okay to text before a first date, but it is important to be careful not to text too much.
According to the author of “How to Not Die Alone,” Logan Ury, texting too much before going on a first date can lead to “The Monet Effect.” What’s this? Think back to the movie “Clueless” where Cher describes Amber as “a full-on Monet. It’s like a painting, see. From far away, it’s okay, but up close it’s a big ol’ mess,” alluding to Monet’s paintings.
Basically, the more you message each other, the more you build the idea of what someone’s like in your head… before actually meeting them and seeing what they’re really like. The Monet Effect is a big reason to be weary of texting too much before a first date, but it’s not the only one. Here are some more.
- It’s way too familiar.
- You run out of things to say.
- Any connection you feel is false.
- Beware of 24/7 texters.
- It’s okay to want to be old-school.
- You could end up getting Catfished.
- You need emotional intimacy.
- Texting is the grey area of dating.
- It’s time-consuming.
Source: Bolde