June 23, 2016 Isn’t the point of going online to get offline? (No need to answer that. I think it’s pretty clear!) So many people ask me, “How do you just get offline?!” Or, “When is the appropriate time to
A Date in the Hand…
April 27, 2016 Client 1 (Alicia): “I joined Match.com two weeks ago, and only creeps and weirdos have emailed me!” Erika: “That’s annoying! But you’re a great catch, so of course people are emailing you.” Alicia: “Yeah, but they’re not
Are all apps just for casual relationships?
April 26, 2016 Have you heard the expression “hookup culture” recently? Our friend and foe Wikipedia defines “hookup culture” as a culture that accepts and encourages casual sexual encounters, focusing on immediate pleasure rather than long-term commitment. This is not
Your Body Language Can Impact Your Dating Life
April 1, 2016 While it’s obvious that what you say on a date can make or break the experience, what you do also has a huge impact on your chances of getting to date #2. You might be the next
15 Quick & Dirty Tips for Your Online Dating Profile
March 2, 2016 You haven’t written your online dating profile yet? As any intrusive relative (we all have them) would say, “You’re not getting any younger!” This is before the requisite pinch cheek, of course. When you’re ready to take the leap
Will You Be My Valentine, Computer Screen?
February 12, 2016 Around this time of year, I always get a lot of questions pertaining to the cyclical nature of my job. “Is this your busy time of year?” “You must get a lot of business before Valentine’s Day.”
Is anyone out there reading my profile?
January 15, 2016 Question: Dear Erika: I am frustrated. It seems like no one is even reading the online dating profile I put out there. Men are emailing me from all over the country even though I explicitly stated only
Top Five Reasons to be Thankful in Dating
November 25, 2015 As Thanksgiving is upon us, it’s time to put aside our pride and simply be thankful for the blessings we have in life: our health, our family… and Tinder? In this day and age, we can do
In Online Dating, Grammar Matters
October 28, 2015 I once bought a shirt that says, “I judge you when you use poor grammar.” (I only wear it to sleep.) My aunt told me that I corrected her when she said, “Me and mom went to
10 Phrases You Should Delete from Your Online Dating Profile
September 14th, 2015 Depending on how long you’ve been on an online dating site, you can probably relate to that déjà-vu feeling you get when it feels like you’re reading the same profile over and over again. Somehow, everyone is
Is Doing Your Due Diligence the New Normal?
August 10, 2015 In some ways, three years seems like no time, and in other ways, it seems like a lifetime ago. Just over three years ago, I wrote an article called To Google or Not to Google? That is the
How Technology is Both Saving and Ruining the World… One Date at a Time
July 16, 2015 Ten years ago, my job didn’t exist. There weren’t ads for it. They didn’t teach it in school. And had you told me that this would be my profession after graduating college with a degree in economics, I
What’s the Whole Point of Dating?
June 18, 2015 Not that I take Urban Dictionary as gospel (I’d have some problems if I did!), but when it comes to the definition of “dating,” the usually off-color site does a surprisingly good job of defining the word.
What’s in a name?
May 27, 2015 Henry90210 283017390 BlueEyedWriter NatsFanFromAK If I gave you these four online dating usernames (all made up, of course), whose profile do you think you’d click on first? I’d venture to say, solely based on the username, that
The Golden Rule… of Dating
April 29, 2015 It’s funny how many people reference The Golden Rule in their online dating profiles: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Okay, perhaps not too many people reference it on JDate or JSwipe considering
The 5 Things NOT to Ask Your Single Friends
April 7, 2015 As a dating coach, many clients come to me wanting to find that perfect partner, that person who makes them no longer want to be on the market, that “one.” They tell me that they have had
Texting and Dating: How Much Is Too Much?
March 16, 2015 How many times have you said the following to your friends, or have they said something like this to you? We were talking online, and then he asked for my number to make it easier to schedule
Online Dating on Valentine’s Day
February 9, 2015 Ah, Valentine’s Day. Some people love the chocolates and flowers. Some people hate the saccharine Hallmark cards that permeate the aisles. And, of course, some people choose to treat February 14th as just any other day of
The Lady Doth Protest Too Much, Methinks
January 26, 2015 I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a literature buff. I vaguely remember reading Romeo & Juliet in high school, but that’s really the extent of my knowledge. (I did used to think it was interesting
The Top Five Online Dating Findings from 2014
December 29, 2014 Do you like to travel? Me, too. Apparently so does everyone else on Match.com. How do I know this? Match.com just came out with its 2014 Year in Review report, and below are the top five highlights:
Let’s Go Shopping… For a Date?
December 15, 2014 I mentioned once that I felt a bit like Carrie Bradshaw when I sat down to write my first ever dating column many years ago. Just as Carrie would have shopped for clothes on Sex and the
Is “Ghosting” the New Post-It Note?
November 6, 2014 In the days before texting and Tinder, there was actual talking and the art of the real, in-person conversation. Even on Sex and The City, when Berger broke up with Carrie on a (dare I say it?)
No Risk, No Reward
October 22, 2014 In life, when we want something, we often have to take a risk. Want a new job? Better put together that resume and send it into the ether for your potential new employers to see. Want
Online Dating: Then and Now
September 22, 2014 Online dating has been around for a while now. In fact, Match.com first opened its proverbial doors back in 1993! As you may know, I was actually a very early adopter of online dating, using JDate back
How Dating Deal Breakers Can Hinder Success
September 2, 2014 How many deal breakers is it appropriate to have when searching online for a partner? One, five, fifteen? There is no magic number, of course, and Patti Stanger of The Millionaire Matchmaker says that five is a