Imagine you’re on a date. The moon is full, the air is crisp and you’re standing toe-to-toe, saying good night.
On your way home, you keep thinking about the taste of her lips and how excited you are to see her again.
Then your phone lights up and the screen reads, “Thanks for the great night,” with a tacky smile afterwards.
Now, for me, this is one of the biggest turnoffs after any date.
When you drop someone off, even if you had a great night, you dropped him or her off. You don’t want them clinging to you via text till dawn. You don’t want to get sick of the person after only one date, especially if they paid.
Before cell phones ran our lives, you could wait days before calling someone.
Now you’re always within reach, even when you don’t want to be.
And don’t think not responding will work. You either need to respond immediately if you ever want to see her again or decide it wasn’t worth it and call it quits there and then.
There’s no escape anymore.
Technology has embedded itself in the deepest roots of society. This has led to some pretty serious problems.
John O’Neill, the director of addictions services at The Menninger Clinic in Houston, says our addiction to technology is “an impulse disorder that can be as socially damaging as alcoholism, gambling and drug addiction.”
So to me, dating someone who does an after-date text is like dating an alcoholic. But instead of getting thrown up on and turned off, the inevitable text will finish the job.
Even if you stay with an after-date texter, you still might be out of luck.
That clever text they send every night, which melts your heart every time, might not even be coming from them.
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Enter Girlfriend Keeper.
This iPhone application texts your possible soul mate random, romantic sayings
periodically throughout the day. It also remembers to text for birthdays and anniversaries.
So now, you don’t only have to worry that what they’re saying is true – you have to worry whether it’s actually them saying it.
Furthermore, the texts really aren’t that suave.
“Did you know we started dating 37 days and eight hours ago?” is one of the examples from the Web site. I don’t know about you, but I’d run for the damn hills if I got this text.
So it’s official. Technology is trying to assassinate everything dating once stood for.
But don’t shoot yourself just yet, ladies and gentlemen, because I have the solution. Just steer clear of the post-date text and everything will be wonderful.
Wait a few days, send that text and enjoy dating the way it should be.
Come to think about it, don’t text at all.
Grow a pair and call.
Chris Nelson is a columnist at the Indiana Daily Student, serving Indiana University at Bloomington, IN.
