The internet is full of interesting terminology…to say the least.
With our ever-changing and diverse “text lingo” and abbreviations, it can be hard to keep track of what everything can mean! So here are 7 important terms that are good to remember when dating online.
1. HMU
The acronym HMU can be defined as “Hit Me Up”. A term used if the person you have been chatting with would like to engage in further interaction such as texting or perhaps phone calls. Hitting someone up can also mean taking someone to a private chat if you are on a public site such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, etc.
2. IRL
IRL is the acronym for “In Real Life”. This term can be used when describing what a person does for a living or their hobbies in their real life. Or if they want to meet up physically for a date or outing.
3. Bread Crumbing
This term can be used to describe a person that may message you and lead you on. Whether by flirting or messaging here and there. The purpose is to lead you on with no commitment.
4. Catfishing
A very commonly known term that denotes a person that uses online dating sites to trick or “Catfish” a person into believing they are a different person than they really are. Many times this will be in order to scam or get money from a person.
If a person will not meet you IRL, face to face, be sure to use caution. That is the number one sign that someone might be trying to catfish you.
5. IG/Insta or SC/Snap
These terms are references to the social media sites Instagram and Snap Chat. These sites have chat features that you can use along with pictures to learn more about a person.
6. Myers-Briggs
You may see on dating profiles an arrangement of four letters. These four letters are connected to the Myers-Briggs Personality test. A test that people can take to see what their personality type is. This particular test divides people into categories such as Introvert or Extrovert. Many people like to use this test as a way to determine if they can match with a person that has a personality type that compliments them. If you are interested in this test, you can find it HERE.
7. Ghosted
This term is a hard one and one that no one wants to experience. But this is when someone that you have been texting/messaging suddenly stops contacting you. Usually, when you try to reach out they do not usually reply. Though this can be disappointing, don’t let this get you down. There are many people out there and you are sure to find the right one in time!
These 7 terms are important to keep in mind while online dating. Online dating can be a fun and pleasant experience. Be sure to practice safety and you will have a good experience.
Looking for online resources for Online Dating? Visit the site below, and find many resources on safety and many more topics!
