Summer Romance: Dating 2.0 Brings Digital Anxieties

img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-102242" title="texting" src="/files/wxrimport/2011-08/texting.jpg" alt="" width="440" height="280" /><

Dating is exciting. It is an emotional rollercoaster that propels you into a whirlwind of starry-eyed lust and then thrusts you into a pit of insecurity. At the beginning stages of the dating game, when two people realize they’re crushing on each other, one text – or lack thereof – has the power to completely consume thoughts and alter moods.

Some people have the enviable ability to stay grounded when first dating someone: “He hasn’t texted me today. He’s probably busy.” Unfortunately, I have no such ability. My thought process is more along the lines of, “Oh god. Oh god! It’s been an hour since he last texted. He’s not interested anymore.” I know I sound crazy, but I’m telling you, most girls are this crazy.

This weekend, after a wonderful third date and significant amount of time spent with the new crush, I was feeling pretty confident in his potential. Great guy. Very comfortable. No drama. Blushed cheeks. But, apart from the mutual admission of a serious crush, there were no promises made and the initial insecurity still lingered Monday morning on my way to work. We texted throughout the day, but I was initiating and he was taking a while to respond. Cue: crazy. By the time I got home, I had worked myself into such a panicked frenzy that only a glass (or three) of wine promised to sooth. Of course, he ended up sending a very charming text and wishes of a good night that immediately sent me into a heart-fluttering tizzy.

The following morning I had yet to respond to his last text. As per the advice of a friend, I decided not to for a few hours. Presuming the crush reacts like me, this will have peaked his interest and insanity. But because he’s a he, chances are my feeble attempt at mystery went unnoticed.

After waiting a few hours, I texted. Then, when checking my phone obsessively for the response, I noticed that he was on Google Chat. “Will he chat me?” He did not. He did, however, respond to my text immediately, which I was thrilled about. Unfortunately, I’m still staring at his “available” status on GChat and wondering: was dating always this psychotic and confusing, or is that exclusively to blame on technology?