#NerdsUnite: When Should You Delete Your Dating Profile?
Talk Nerdy To Me®’s @staffwriter
First things first, you should never delete your dating profile if you’re an active member of the site. If you are meeting members or interacting with other users then it goes without saying that your account should remain open, for obvious reasons.
However, if you aren’t receiving many messages and think that perhaps it’s time to call it quits then maybe now is the right time to think about deleting your account. Read on as we discuss when it may be best to take the next step and close shop.
When You Stop Getting Messages
After setting up an online dating profile (with a paid dating website like Match) there are usually only two outcomes:
1) People message you who are interesting
or
2) No one messages you at all.
If you’re one of the many who start getting messages but then quickly stop receiving them, that’s when you should consider deleting your dating profile.
Often, this may happen when someone is using a fake/bogus email account to sign up for online dating. Other times it can be due to what is known as “profile fatigue” (meaning the person has seen so many profiles already that they no longer see the point in messaging anyone).
When You Get Desperate
When you reach a certain point in online dating where there are very few options left on the table, that might be a good time to delete your profile. Most people will reach desperation at some point during their search and ultimately end up deleting their account (mainly because they get fed up).
So, if you can relate to these symptoms, then maybe it’s time for you to actually quit your online dating journey.
You’re Feeling Lonely and Unhappy
You’ve come close to deleting your account multiple times. You’re wasting hours/days browsing profiles when all you end up doing is staring at a blank screen.
You’re not happy, nor are you excited. Your dating profile is a constant reminder of how lonely and unhappy you’ve become.
There is no point in staying. Delete it now before your misery gets even worse!
When You Get in a Relationship
As much as we all hate to admit this, online dating can be very difficult… unless you have been fortunate enough to find someone special with whom you begin a relationship. When that does happen, then there is no reason for having a profile up anymore.
Having an active online dating profile while being in a relationship defeats the purpose of being in one in the first place.
When You Get Busy with Your Life
You finally quit your job so you can travel around the world. You’ve decided to take some courses at the local community college. Oh, and you’re planning on moving to another state—so no dating for you right now. Your life is busy and there are very few free moments in it. Delete your profile, cancel your account—just remove yourself from everything related to online dating (at least for now).
If you don’t want to completely delete your profile, you can often “pause” or deactivate your online account.
When Meeting People Online Just Doesn’t Work Out
Even though you’ve received countless messages, even though you’ve gone out with dozens of people but nothing ever comes of it. Maybe it’s time that you stop creating more profiles, deleting them, creating new ones only to delete them again later on down the line.
When You Want To Focus on Self-Care
Delete or pause your dating profile when you want time to focus on yourself—when you want to focus on improving yourself without any distractions.
Once you have improved your life, there will be plenty of time for dating again. So, if you’re trying to lose some weight or work on other aspects that are important to you then taking a break from the online dating world is probably for the best.
In fact, I think doing this periodically is a great choice.
You can work out, pick up a hobby, practice yoga, learn to meditate, read a book, take cooking classes, etc.
This is not to say that you should quit dating completely—just delete your profile for the time being. When you are ready to return, make sure it’s because you actually want to date someone. Don’t go back online just because it’s the only thing you have left in your life.
After all… what would be worse? Being single or spending countless hours per day browsing profiles and then still being alone at the end of the day?!
We don’t need statistics to prove how difficult online dating can be. The best thing we can do is accept this challenge. Even though there may only be one out of ten chances that our message gets seen by someone, or even one out of ten chances that they reply… we still have to try and try again.
There’s nothing wrong with deleting your dating profile in hopes of improving your life.
When Shouldn’t You Delete Your Dating Profile?
There are some cases in which it might be best not to delete your online dating profile. For example, when you have only been using an online dating site for a short period of time and there’s still hope that someone will message you soon. Or if you think things will change in the near future and ultimately result in higher messages through the site.
Things To Consider About Deleting Your Dating Profile
In most cases, if you feel as though you want to delete your dating profile, then it’s probably a good idea to do so. However, before going ahead and closing shop, perhaps take some more time to think about why you’re doing this in the first place.
Once again, always keep that account open if there is a chance of meeting someone new or receiving messages from other users. There is no sense in spending time, effort, or money on an online dating website if you aren’t getting anything out of it.
Here are a few things to consider before deleting your dating profile:
What do you want out of dating? What’s your end goal?
What are your expectations?
How do you feel about yourself?
How long have you tried online dating?
Do you need a break?
