DEAR HARRIETTE: I am a young guy in my 20s. This past weekend I asked a girl I met through a dating app on a date. She accepted my date offer; however, she texted through the whole dinner! I confronted her about this at the end of the date, and she actually told me that she was more interested in someone else. I haven't been in the dating world for a long time, but I thought this was so rude. She still tries to text me, and I don't know what to do. We could've had a good thing, but she was so disrespectful and may have just used me for a free meal. Do I give her a second chance? -- Want A Girlfriend, Boston
DEAR WANT A GIRLFRIEND: Don't sell yourself short! You deserve way better than that young lady. While technology can get in the way of many relationships, it surely should not be a problem on the first date. Anybody who cannot take her eyes away from texting to have a full experience with someone on a first date does not deserve a do-over.
I understand that you really want to find someone to be your girlfriend. I encourage you to slow down. Think carefully about what qualities you would like your girlfriend to have. What are your interests, and what would you like to share with a woman? Then, if you go through a dating app, be clear about your interests in your dating profile, so that you potentially weed out the women who want something else. You can go so far as to say that you would like dates to be cellphone-free zones. Why not?