Technology Cancels Out Dating's Three Day Rule

Technology Cancels Out Dating's Three Day Rule

The three day rule of dating, whereby you wait a set period of time before getting back to someone you fancy, has been obliterated by technology.

The dating site, Match.com, which has something of an interest in these things, commissioned a YouGov survey of 200,000 people to find that would-be couples wait just 1.52 days before getting in touch after a date.

Match.com’s resident relationship expert, Kate Taylor, said: “The three-day rule might have worked when all we had was landlines, but technology has revolutionised how we date. Now we are glued to our mobile phones, Twitter and Facebook the three-day rule is a bit dated. When everybody takes their mobile phone everywhere, waiting three days to get in touch just makes you look snooty, or worse."

Shockingly, well, at least for those who still "take" a newspaper and make calls on a landline, only a third of guys (31%) would make a phone call to follow up a date; 53% of daters now prefer to be contacted by text, while only 15% would break-up with someone by text.

A quick survey of the Huffington Post office, determined that 1.52 days was "contrived" that you should expect a text on the way home.

More in-depth probing of our subjects reveals that Huff Posters think that leaving the follow-up call too long seems contrived. They also said if you're dating someone you know through a friend, a text on the way home is welcome, if not expected. Just met someone for the first time? Wait a day to make contact, ideally by text.

After all, what possible excuse is there, in this hyper-connected age, for not getting in touch?

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