Whether you like it or not, there are plenty of ways to gauge someone’s socioeconomic status before you ask them on a date.

The internet has made it easier than ever to find love, sex and companionship. This is largely thanks to a proliferation of niche and mainstream dating apps that cater to basically everyone.

The only downside is that you now need to keep tabs on digital dating slang, which is constantly changing. Here are some popular emerging phrases to get your head around - from 'benching' (stringing along a romantic partner for potential substitution) to 'hatfishing' (purposely hiding a bald patch in your profile pics!)

Dating’s hard as it is. For those in recovery from substance abuse, or simply don’t drink, it can be even harder. It’s not an easy conversation to have on a first date, after all, and it can complicate those first few outings when the option of having a date at a bar is out of the question.

After seeing the toxicity of other dating services, Dawoon Kang created Coffee Meets Bagel as a safer, friendlier alternative. We talked to her about solving the fundamental problem of many straight dating services, and how she manages her company in a way consistent with CMB’s values. Dawoon also shared a dating tip that no app can teach you.

So, you’ve been rejected. Maybe someone turned you down, maybe you got dumped, maybe your partner asked for “space”. How do you win them back? Don’t.

Sometimes at the end of a relationship, we’re so sure we want nothing to do with the other person that we’re happy to scorch the earth with the break up conversation. But it’s probably better to do it with some compassion and empathy.

Dating, of course, is a delicate dance with many unknown factors at any given moment.

In a former life, I was one of those trying women who would comment on articles about online dating with a “Wow. That sounds terrible. So glad I found my partner at 19 and got married by 25!” These comments were accompanied by an air of frantic smugness that is usually seen in a young woman who is just beginning to suspect she made a mistake.

So it’s finally happened. You’ve met someone great. They’re smart, they’re attractive, they have a job — and they’re perfect for your needlessly picky friend. We’ve all been there, you have one friend who’d be great for another and you’re positive they’d hit it off. But setting them up is easier said than done, unlike a rom-com meet-cute on a busy subway platform or at a wedding reception.

The mystery of love is dwarfed by the far greater mystery of how to get the hell over being dumped. Here’s how to begin.

I’ve gotten very good at saying no to second dates, largely because I go on so many first dates. There are times when we both acknowledge there’s no spark and go our separate ways; there are times when they reject me; and statistically, there are a fair number of people who want to take a second run at it even though we have literally zero chemistry.

In theory, we date to find a relationship we want to stick with. In practice, people date for lots of different reasons, and it can be hard to figure out if you’re on the same page as the person you’re going out with. Here’s how the women of Reddit make the call.

You’re halfway through a date and you suddenly realise — you’ve made a terrible mistake. This person is not only not The One, they’re becoming your enemy. How do you get out of there?

People joke that all anyone care about on dating apps is the photos, and it’s kind of true. But you’re not only being judged on a hotness scale—folks are trying to sense of you as a person without reading your bio. A picture says more than you realise about your taste, social life, and world view. Here’s what to think about when you’re choosing the perfect pic.

“Nice guys finish last” is one of the most widely believed maxims of dating. Fleshed out, the idea goes something like this: heterosexual women might say they want nice characteristics in a partner, but in reality what they want is the challenge that comes with dating a “bad boy”. This idea is so widespread that some people are even making money off the back of it, selling self-help books and teaching men how to pick up women by insulting them – a practice known as “negging”.

Recently, an article published by Broadly claimed, “Everyone knows … are desirable. Thanks to a recent study, this is now scientifically verifiable.”

This week, Australia's biggest gaming convention PAX returns! Gamers from around the world will be descending upon Melbourne for some fun, fandom and, if I have anything to do with it, flirting! Not sure where to start on your geeky romance journey? Here are a few tips.

Breaking up is hard to do, especially when there are numerous public profiles where we can check in on everything our ex does. Looking at how the person you dated is filling all their days without you is a bad idea, but often impossible to resist.

Fortunately, there's a way to surreptitiously keep tabs on them without bumming yourself out in the process. Here's how.

We all agree that there’s no worse idea for getting over an ex than sleeping with them one more time. Or two more times. Right? Bad idea. Unless... unless it turns out it’s actually good for you.

You've likely heard that body language accounts for up to 55 per cent of how we communicate, but reading non-verbal cues isn't just about broad strokes. The same gesture can indicate a number of different things depending on context.

In this guide, we're going to take a look at three common situations in which non-verbal cues are especially important - detecting lies, going on a date and interviewing for a job - then explain how to interpret body language more accurately so that you can read between the lines when a person's words aren't necessarily conveying the way that they honestly feel.