More than 350 million people use dating apps around the world. That’s a heck of a lot of people looking for love, companionship, or perhaps just a quick hook-up. With so many folk dipping their toes into the dating pool, the water is bound to be more than a little murky. In fact, one could easily compare it to a shark tank, given a few of the nightmare encounters people have shared online.
Dating nowadays is already difficult enough. Throw in some text messages, and things can go south rather fast. One minute, you’re answering a text from a potential suitor. The next, you’re looking for a paper bag to puke in. It seems that many a true color can be been revealed through a few short sentences.
Bored Panda has put together a list of the most cringe dating screenshots spotted in the wild. We aren’t talking about the old cliche, “You up?” midnight text. What we have here is a museum of messages, ranging from mildly awkward to downright terrifying: The guy who demanded “white babies,” another who joked about feeding his date to the pigs, and the creepy soul who turned a convo about gaming into, “How big are them tiddies?” unprovoked. Many of these texts might be all the motivation you need to stay single for the rest of your life.
#1 Started Trying To Date Again 😐
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#2 Are People Even Trying Anymore?
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#3 This Is By Far The Strangest Prompt I’ve Responded To
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First comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby in a baby carriage. Yeah, right.
Maybe that’s how simple things used to be. But nowadays, it’s a whole different ball game. Our parents might have had to kiss a few frogs before finding their princes or princesses. But outside of the digital age, they were spared the nightmare of reading and responding to outrageous texts from the depths of dating hell.
Many people agree that finding love in today’s times is not for the faint of heart. In fact, the latest Singles in America study revealed that nearly all 5,000 respondents polled —including 91% of men and 94% of women— think the current dating environment is more difficult than ever.
#4 I Do Have A Disability But He Really Got Me With That Last Part 💀
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#5 Well, That Escalated Quickly…
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#6 Reposting Bc I Missed His Name
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Many are so fed up with it all that they’ve thrown in the towel… Only to come back again for more dating drama.
The Singles In America survey reveals that 53% of singles reported dating burnout and 46% took breaks to recharge. 64% said they came back with a clearer idea of what they want. One reason people are taking a temporary step back from dating might be because of tempers flaring.
“Singles overwhelmingly agree that there’s more risk of anger when you reject a potential partner and less authenticity displayed in dating profiles that makes it harder to find alignment in matches,” notes the survey. 70% of respondents agreed that anger over rejection is rising.
#7 Wtf Is This Guy’s Bio Jfc
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#8 Just Got Back Into The Dating Realm And I’ve Never Left Quicker Than Before…ugh
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#9 Guy I Went One Date With 3 Years Ago Hit Me Up Again A Day After I Found A Reel Of His Wedding Invitations
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Despite the perception nowadays that many people are just looking for a quick fling, the survey found that 62% of respondents are genuinely seeking a committed, exclusive relationship.
Folk are divided over whether online dating is helping their cause. According to data from the Pew Research Center, about 42% of U.S. adults say online dating has made the search for a long-term partner easier, while 22% say it has made the search for a long-term partner or spouse more difficult. 32% feel it hasn’t made any difference at all.
#10 Facebook Dating 💀
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#11 A Grown 47yo Man Telling Me How He Can’t Date Me Unless I Have S*x W Him ASAP After I Refused Piv
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#12 I Love Dating
For anyone who needs more context. went on a date. i didn’t catch the vibe and thought this was a respectful response. hope you get a laugh like i did.
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“Single people are increasingly interested in long-term relationships rather than casual encounters,” reports Forbes, citing data from eharmony’s dating statistics, which revealed that 35% of online daters consider serious relationships a high priority.
But not everyone feels safe seeking love online. “The share of U.S. adults who say online dating is generally a very or somewhat safe way to meet people has dipped slightly since 2019, from 53% to 48%,” notes Pew Research Center’s site. “Women are more likely than men to say online dating is not too or not at all safe.”
#13 I’m So Annoyed With Dating LOL. We Only Exchanged A Few Messages An Hour Prior
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#14 Dating In 2025 Be Like
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#15 It’s A Nice Pp
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We’re often told that communication is key when it comes to relationships. And that’s no different during the very early stages of dating.
According to the Match.com Singles in America survey, singles are getting lost in translation (so too speak) far too often. There’s a lot of miscommunication going on, and it’s muddying the waters.
43% of those polled said expectations for casual vs. serious relationships are misaligned. 41% said communication styles cause confusion, and 39% noted differences in emotional availability.
#16 Are People Ok?
Drelas_Hawke:
Better start saving money for the vagina wheelchair.
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#17 Probably My Favorite Hater I’ve Gotten So Far
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#18 This Guy I Went On Six Dates With Ghosted Me And When I Confronted Him Over Text, This Is What He Said…
I asked him to get tested before we hook up and that was apparently a dealbreaker for him.
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If you’re still brave enough to date, after scrolling through this list, you might want to pay attention to how they text, and how you text back…
According to those over at Elite Daily, texting can tell you all you need to know about a new potential suitor. “Texting can be the first indicator of what a person is like when you start dating, especially now that we all meet by exchanging numbers with strangers whose faces we swiped via algorithm,” notes the site. “Are their texts including lots of vowels? They seem friendly. Are they overzealous with their ‘LOLs’? No thank you. Emoji game 100? Yes please.”
#19 Online Dating: I Don’t Know What To Think Anymore
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#20 Some Delightful Texts I Came Across From Someone From Tinder 5 Years Ago
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#21 What Tinder Has Had In Store For Me Lately
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New York State licensed clinical psychologist Suzanne Lachmann warns that you should never text anything too provocative.
“When you make the leap into saying things or sharing pics that are intimate or provocative before really knowing someone, there is a good chance that you’re not enhancing but rather sabotaging the possibility of expanding this texting relationship into a meaningful connection in real life,” the expert explains.
She adds that while texting provocative words or pics may get their attention or create a spark, it can also backfire. They may end the relationship before it even begins, or you could be left feeling vulnerable and obsessed with what they’re doing with your texts.
#22 Dating In 2025 In A Nutshell 😭
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#23 The One Time I Try To Go On A Date
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#24 Was Gonna Go On A Date But Hard Pass
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Lachmann also warns against texting too much personal information too soon. Steer clear of discussing the current potential relationship or any previous relationships. Do not discuss the babies you’re dreaming of having with them, or how you’ve already planned your wedding.
“With someone new, you don’t yet know their boundaries, their comfort with sharing thoughts and feelings, and they don’t know yours, so there is ample opportunity for misinterpretation, confusion, or falling into a TMI trap,” explains the expert.
And if you’re looking for more advice on what not to do when texting a date, you’ll find it on pretty much any of the cringe screenshots featured on this list!
#25 I Give Up On Dating
This was from a month ago, I went on 3 lovely dates with this man and then I got this message 2 hours before our 4th date. I appreciated not being ghosted but… really??? Am I being too sensitive or is this a bit odd?
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#26 I Also Hate Dating
This is from nine years ago but it seems the landscape has not changed much. I blocked after this, but the “haha later sl*t” was a gift, honestly. It runs through my mind often and I wish I could use it the same as “later loser” but I don’t think it would be received the same… I’m recently single and staying that way seems preferable to whatever is happening out there now.
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#27 Guy I Went On One Date With Still Texting A Year Later
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#28 God, I Hate Online Dating
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#29 First Date Last Night… Kinda Took The Wind Out Of My Sails, Ngl :/ Idk What To Say
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#30 Had My First Official Dating App Stalker! 🥳
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#31 I’m Sorry What???? (Last Message) Guy From Bumble I Was Supposed To Go On A Date With Last Week But He Canceled, Did Absolutely Nothing To Trigger This Behavior
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#32 Had An Argument With A Tinder Date Over…. An Empanada✅
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#33 Really It’s My Own Fault
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#34 Boy What The Hell
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#35 I Feel Like I’ve Been On The App A Little Bit Too Long If This Is What My Matches Have To Say
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#36 Yep
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#37 His Profile Claimed He Had An ‘ Iconic Pickup Line’
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#38 A Swing And A Miss
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#39 “Tinder Is So Much Easier For Women” Tinder For Women:
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#40 Why Can’t I Just Have The Pancakes? 🥺
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#41 (My Eyes Are Blue)
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#42 Visiting A New Place For The First Time And Finding Love 🥰
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#43 I Cant Believe I’ve Been Sitting On This
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#44 Dating Is Exhausting
I didn’t feel a connection after our first date so I sent her a message and was met with this… immediately blocked.
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#45 Back Story: We Talked A Few Years Ago. Never Dated, Because Of The “The World Is Always Against Me” Behavior You’ll See Below
She just broke up with her bf of 4 years whom she just had a baby with. In this conversation picks up literally the same day they broke up. I KNOW her know her. She exaggerates immensely.
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#46 I Dated This Woman For 9 Days. The Selfishness She Speaks Of Was My Monthly Date Budget Being “Only” $400
I wish I hadn’t deleted all the messages from before we broke up, because there were some gems of red flags in there. For context, she sent this on different days, about a week apart 2-3 weeks after we broke up. The timestamps say today because I took the screenshots as I got them. I do wish I could’ve seen the unsent message.
Image source: Llyran-Noble
#47 Went On A Date With A Girl Last Night A Week After Matching On Tinder. This Is What Happened Afterwards…
Context: It’s been about 2 months since I broke up with my previous partner. We were just not getting along. I wasn’t necessarily looking to find someone new but after reactivating my Tinder account about 3 weeks ago a girl had matched with me and she messaged me first.
We had talked on Tinder for about a week. Both her and I work during the week at our respective jobs. So we had planned to see each other on Saturday night. Everything leading up to the date was good! Her and I are really nostalgic, We pretty much like the same music, We both have dogs, We both like cars, We have similar life goals etc. And during our time getting to know each other before the date I was really coming to like this girl. And it seemed she was too!
The afternoon before the date we both decided to text each other. I gave her my number and she texted me back almost immediately. We both got prepared then I went to pick her up. We both talked before on how we like antique stores. We are both in Arizona near the Phoenix area and so I decided that for our first date we should go to this big antique store called “The Brass Armadillo” and she agreed and thought that it sounded really fun!
I then picked her up and we had a blast. We had a mini concert singing songs all the way to the antique store. We got there and spent a few hours there particularly looking at the old license plates and checking out the old records and music CD’s. Then we went to Dairy Queen Grill & Chill and had both a something to eat and some ice cream. Then I took her home and opened her door and she gave me a hug and said that she had a really fun time and wanted to see me again and I said that I did too! I had a lot of fun.
I then texted her after I dropped her off a few blocks away at a stop light just letting her know that I had a great time. And then all the sudden she says that she doesn’t think it’s gonna work out. It kinda caught me off guard and she said that if we were together that she could tell that I wouldn’t be happy. Which I really don’t understand at all. Because I had a great time with her and she seemed too as well. She then told me to lose her number and that’s kinda where it ended. I haven’t heard back since.
At this point, it just seems that no matter what something always seems to go wrong. Especially when it comes to relationships. I quite literally have no idea what I did and don’t know why she later admitted that we wouldn’t work out. And while I’m not really actively looking for someone. I still am a genuine person just trying to be myself. But, I’ve kinda just given up on the people around me. Cause this is such BS.
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#48 Dude I Went On One Date With…. Gross
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#49 Trying To Date Today Be Like
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#50 Got Stood Up On My Date Today
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#51 Giving Up Hope On Dating 😭
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#52 I Think I Found Prince Charming
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#53 Repost With Name Removed 🥰🥰
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#54 It’s So Efficient When They Show Their True Colors In Their Very First Message. No Time Wasted
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#55 Well I Thought It Was Funny Anyway
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#56 Just Gonna Leave This Here.. 🤣
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#57 Done
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#58 POV It’s 10 Am On A Tuesday And You Open Up Tinder
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#59 Ovulation 101
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#60 We Matched And This Is The First Thing He Said To Me 💀
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#61 Wild Text Outcome What Went Wrong? Crazy Dating Behavior
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#62 By Far The Funniest Dating Interaction I’ve Had
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#63 I (46f) Decided To Start Dating Again. I Matched With A 36 M On Fb Dating. We’ve Been Chatting For 2 Days. I Feel So Confused. How Would You Respond?
I’ve been single for 6 yrs. I turned on my FB dating profile and matched with a guy that’s ten yrs younger. I’m physically fit and active and also a gamer, so I can usually relate to people younger than me. How would you respond to these texts if you were me? I’m sure I’m making it more complicated than it is.
Image source: TurbulentCourse7663
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