The Independent

Dating advice: The choice effect

20 September 2011 11:00 AM

As a nation we’re quite literally ‘spoilt for choice’. Everywhere we turn there is a mind-boggling parade of consumer choices, offering everything from clothes, gadgets, holidays, entertainment and pet insurance to career paths and social calendar planning. You only need to pop into your local supermarket for a tube of toothpaste and a pint of milk, to realise that the sheer amount of choices on offer are overwhelming. Each product claiming to do something different from the next – do you want organic milk or regular, do you want it from a cow or from a bean, with or without calcium?

Dating advice: The age of romance

16 August 2011 04:38 PM

Whatever our life stage, lifestyle or background, we’re all connected by one common theme - the quest for love – but how does our life stage affect our attitudestowards looking for the one and stepping into the world of online dating. Independent Singles takes a look.

How dating evolved through the years

28 July 2011 03:11 PM

Whether matchmaking soul mates, facilitating marriages or simply starting two strangers off on the right path, online dating is jaw-droppingly brilliant in that it taps into something people do every day - meet other people speculatively with a view to romance. But where did it all begin? Independent Singles takes a stroll back through dating heritage, to see how we’ve arrived at the advance and sophisticated services that we use today.

Online dating etiquette

11 July 2011 05:11 PM

With dating comes an unwritten code of behaviour, which is more commonly known as ‘Dating Etiquette’. The internet may have revolutionised age-old rituals of courtship and created an entirely new etiquette for online dating, but just because you’re sat behind a computer, doesn’t mean you should abandon them altogether. Dating etiquette still applies online so in order to succeed, here are some basic principles that must still be adhered to.

Dating Advice: Online dating myths busted

14 June 2011 05:01 PM

Online dating is as much a part of everyday life as social networking sites are these days, yet despite this there still seems to be many myths surrounding it. Online dating is now the third most popular way to meet a potential partner and is a great way to cast your net a little wider than your immediate social circle to meet people, whom you might otherwise never have met. If you haven’t tried online dating yet or you’re thinking about trying it but are put off but what you hear then listen up, because Independent Singles are here to dispel some of those nasty rumours.

Dating Advice: Make your own rules

02 June 2011 03:34 PM

When it comes to dating there tends to be an invisible rule book which most of us follow religiously. Millions of rules, most of which are nothing but mind games, that we feel we must abide by should we find ourselves on the dating scene. With so many rules and so much not-so-helpful advice - for example, ‘don’t kiss on a first date’, ‘don’t commit to a weekend date after Wednesday’, ‘don’t order spaghetti if you’re going for dinner’ and so on - we just end up more confused than when we started.

Dating advice: Recession? What recession?

17 May 2011 10:19 AM

Over the last few years all we’ve heard is economic crisis, recession, negative growth, budget cuts and, well, you get the picture.

Get into the spirit of the royal wedding with Independent Singles

11 April 2011 12:45 PM

The fairy tale wedding of the century is fast approaching and in just over two weeks the young and handsome Prince William is set to wed his beautiful Princess, and university sweet-heart, Kate Middleton.

Dating advice: Get the most out of online dating

16 March 2011 10:33 AM

Many people think online dating is a fail-proof, fast-track way to finding the person of your dreams. Put your profile up, sit back and wait to be inundated with messages from hundreds of attractive singles. However, it really is no different to any other conventional way of meeting a new partner in that it requires time, effort and attention. So to make sure you get the most from your time on Independent Singles, we’ve put together a few essential tips.

Dating advice: The Dating Game

28 February 2011 11:24 AM

How many times have you read an article on so-called 'top dating tips' or something about 'the key to a successful date', where the advice is all the same? Yeah yeah, we know, dress to impress, be yourself, don't talk about your ex and all that jazz. I'd like to think that the majority of us are clued up enough to have this general knowledge anyway. After all, dating isn't rocket science, is it? So I thought that, instead of giving you some dull olf dating tips, I'd put together a few simple steps for you to remember during and after that important date, to ensure that you enjoy it rather than stress about it. You can thank me later!

Dating advice: How to deal with Valentine's Day

10 February 2011 02:38 PM

Every year on 14 February, chocolates, flowers, gifts and cards are exchanged between loved ones around the world, all in the name of St. Valentine. But do any of us even know who St. Valentine is anymore or have we just got caught up in another 21st Century ‘Hallmark holiday’?

Dating advice: Tips for writing a good profile

02 February 2011 11:01 AM

When it comes to online dating, writing your own profile can often be the hardest part. That small box where you have to ‘sell’ yourself in 100-150 words seems so daunting. For most of us, talking highly of ourselves is not the easiest of tasks as we tend to be more forthcoming in pointing out our flaws as opposed to our good points. But with so many people going online to find love the competition is pretty strong, which means your profile has to be the best.

Dating advice: Navigating that tricky first date

13 January 2011 04:50 PM

So you’ve found someone online that you like - it’s time to take things offline. Yes, that’s right, it’s time to see if your cyber romance can stand the test of real life, face-to-face chemistry.

Dating advice: Ditch your preconceptions

21 December 2010 05:37 PM

Ok, so you’re not completely convinced by the whole online dating thing just yet, are you? We know that taking the plunge and signing yourself up to an online dating site can seem a little daunting to begin with, but believe us, it really isn’t.

Dating advice: How to talk the talk

21 December 2010 04:58 PM

It seems as though chat up lines have got themselves a bad reputation over the years. In our upside-down world of dating, where there is no longer any etiquette, chat-up lines have become hugely associated with being ‘hit on’ in a bar or club by undesirable characters (and haven't we all been there?).