POF Experiment: The Conclusion
Posted by Rachel Scott on Monday, July 11, 2011
Under: The POF Experiment
Last year, I began an experiment to explore the world of online dating via a free website called Plenty of Fish. My plan was to go on 10 dates--with 10 different men--to determine whether the douche bags I meet organically are more or less douchy than those online. After ten dates, I've come to the conclusion that douchebags are omnipresent. However, the douchbags I meet organically are much more attractive than the douchebags I've met through POF.
As a matter of fact, I recently rejected the advances of a 26 year-old smokin' hot friend-of-a-friend who just so happened to be featured in Time Out magazine as one of Manhattan's hottest bachelors. (Okay I made out with him but you would too if you saw how hot he was.) I met him and other hotties in-person, while those I met online were sub-par. So, I've concluded that I am indeed too good for online dating.
I've also concluded that most men on POF are delusional. They seem to think they are much more attractive than they really are, as well as overrate their dull or annoying personalities. Most also lack basic social skills. I estimate that most others on POF join because they lack physical attraction, personality, and/or social skills. I'm sure there are exceptions, but these are my estimations based on my experience.
Although I finished the experiment, I've kept my account open to boost my ego. I like waking up in the morning to love letters from nerds. However, a recent discovery has opened my eyes to a new purpose for keeping my account open. Allow me to explain: I had correspondences with a man whose pseudonym was Clark Kent. Physically, he actually did seem to resemble Superman's alter ego, glasses and all. His profile stated that he had good intentions and was looking for a nice woman for a relationship. For a couple of weeks, we had seemingly normal email exchanges involving small talk and jokes. Then, I discovered his dirty little secret... He really did have an alter ego! I came across his second profile where he stated that he was looking for sexual encounters. He graphically explained what he would like to do on a date, and posted shirtless photos that were much more provocative than those in his other profile. I called him out on it, and told him he was deceitful because one of those profiles misrepresented his intentions. He got defensive because he was totally busted. I subsequently blocked him.
This experience made me wonder: how many other men on this site are misrepresenting themselves? I was curious to see if other men who claim to be looking for relationships were really just trying to get laid. So, I set up a decoy account. I posted a photo of a cute young blonde and claimed to be a 21 year-old college student seeking "an older man who knows how to satisfy a woman." For date suggestions, I wrote, "your place or mine? ;)" I'm curious to see who responds. I'm also keeping my real profile open, to see if I get any guys who reply to both profiles--to catch any perverts and liars on POF. I also added a very important stipulation--that anyone who replies must be hot! "I'm really hot, and you must be too. I will not reply if you are fat or ugly," I wrote. This is a test of the male ego. I want to see just how many physically repulsive guys really think that they're hot. My prediction: there are a lot of disillusioned pervs on POF.
As a matter of fact, I recently rejected the advances of a 26 year-old smokin' hot friend-of-a-friend who just so happened to be featured in Time Out magazine as one of Manhattan's hottest bachelors. (Okay I made out with him but you would too if you saw how hot he was.) I met him and other hotties in-person, while those I met online were sub-par. So, I've concluded that I am indeed too good for online dating.
I've also concluded that most men on POF are delusional. They seem to think they are much more attractive than they really are, as well as overrate their dull or annoying personalities. Most also lack basic social skills. I estimate that most others on POF join because they lack physical attraction, personality, and/or social skills. I'm sure there are exceptions, but these are my estimations based on my experience.
Although I finished the experiment, I've kept my account open to boost my ego. I like waking up in the morning to love letters from nerds. However, a recent discovery has opened my eyes to a new purpose for keeping my account open. Allow me to explain: I had correspondences with a man whose pseudonym was Clark Kent. Physically, he actually did seem to resemble Superman's alter ego, glasses and all. His profile stated that he had good intentions and was looking for a nice woman for a relationship. For a couple of weeks, we had seemingly normal email exchanges involving small talk and jokes. Then, I discovered his dirty little secret... He really did have an alter ego! I came across his second profile where he stated that he was looking for sexual encounters. He graphically explained what he would like to do on a date, and posted shirtless photos that were much more provocative than those in his other profile. I called him out on it, and told him he was deceitful because one of those profiles misrepresented his intentions. He got defensive because he was totally busted. I subsequently blocked him.
This experience made me wonder: how many other men on this site are misrepresenting themselves? I was curious to see if other men who claim to be looking for relationships were really just trying to get laid. So, I set up a decoy account. I posted a photo of a cute young blonde and claimed to be a 21 year-old college student seeking "an older man who knows how to satisfy a woman." For date suggestions, I wrote, "your place or mine? ;)" I'm curious to see who responds. I'm also keeping my real profile open, to see if I get any guys who reply to both profiles--to catch any perverts and liars on POF. I also added a very important stipulation--that anyone who replies must be hot! "I'm really hot, and you must be too. I will not reply if you are fat or ugly," I wrote. This is a test of the male ego. I want to see just how many physically repulsive guys really think that they're hot. My prediction: there are a lot of disillusioned pervs on POF.
In : The POF Experiment