13 Pieces of Old-Fashioned Dating Advice No One Follows Anymore

When it comes to dating in today's world, there are a few "unofficial" rules that come with the territory. Don't complain about your ex the entire time, and don't try to make it social-media official before it actually is official are good ones to follow. But the one thing that makes modern dating so different from how it was back in the day is that there really aren't that many set-in-stone rules. For instance, you don't have to wait three days when it comes contacting someone you had a nice date with, or even wait for a person you're interested in to ask you on a date—you can ask them! Dating today is a whole new ball game, and even the unofficial rules are often broken. One thing is for sure, these old-fashioned dating rules are now a thing of the past.

In this day and age, there are still people who prefer for men to make the first move—but there are also a lot of women who are unafraid and unashamed to go after a man they are interested in. As Jonathan Bennett, certified dating coach and co-founder of The Popular Man, explains, modern women are "more empowered than ever to take charge of their relationship choices." As an example, he points to Bumble, a popular dating app that actually requires women to make the first move.

Sure, it can be nice to have someone else pay for your meal, but this rule dates back to archaic times when women weren't actually allowed in the workforce. Many women opt to cover the meal themselves, or even split the check with their date. As Alex Williamson, head of brand at Bumble explained to HuffPost, she believes the person who asked for the date should offer to grab the tab.

"In my opinion, if one person asked the other out, that person should take responsibility for the check. But in any case, I always think it's reasonable for both people to offer to cover all or part of the check and have a conversation about it," she says. "I always tell people, if you aren't comfortable paying for a restaurant, don't recommend it as the location of the date. If you initiate a date, pick a place where you would be happy to cover the full cost of the bill."

In the past, women would eagerly wait in the home for their date to pull up in front of their home to take them out. These days, however, you usually hear about people agreeing to meet at a central, public location like a bar or a restaurant.

Susan Trombetti, CEO of Exclusive Matchmaking, advises that if you are meeting someone online, never let them "know where you live or work" before you get to know them. For your first date, you should instead meet them somewhere public.

Sure, it's nice to be pursued. After all, it shows that they truly care about you. But outdated rules had it that women could never be the ones to reach out first—they always had to wait for their love interest to call or write them. Trombetti says this is not necessary in modern dating. If you want to talk to someone, do it. As long as you "aren't always the one to make the contact first," there's nothing wrong with letting someone know you're thinking about them. On the other hand, Trombetti says if you notice you're always the one to reach out first, then that might be a sign of a bigger issue.

The concept that you have to wait three days before contacting someone after a date so you don't seem too eager for another one is ancient history. These days, waiting that long might lead someone to assume you're not interested, and so they just move on to the next person. Trombetti explains that this concept stemmed from people "trying to play hard to get."

What is it with old-fashioned dating and rules of three? Many people have heard about the third-date rule where you have to wait until at least the third date before having sex with someone. But this once-steadfast rule is outdated and unnecessary to follow in modern times.

"There isn't a universal right amount of time for every person. There isn't even necessarily a right amount of time for one person in every situation," according to an article in Glamour. "Maybe with one guy, you couldn't keep your hands off each other on the first date, but then with the next, it took you months to feel comfortable. If you have your own rule for yourself, that's fine, but I think you should consider breaking it every once in a while and even if you don't, don't assume your rule is right for anyone else."

In the past, women have been pressured to accept any date invitation. As the old saying goes, "you have to kiss a lot of frogs before you find your prince." Women were encouraged to give every possible suitor a chance, and even if the first date didn't go well, a second one, as well. Online dating coach Eric Resnick says this is a rule most people no longer follow.

"When you treat dating as a numbers game, you set a countdown clock towards emotional burnout," he says. "You are in a mad dash to find someone before the conveyor belt of bad dates you think you have to suffer through wear you down to the point that you don't want to try anymore. Listen to your gut. You may not be able to prevent every bad first date, but you can usually spot 80 percent of them before they happen."

If you wanted to seem demure and like a good potential wife, you weren't allowed to kiss a man on the first date. This made you seem "promiscuous." And while some people may still avoid kissing on the first date, it's no longer common practice. In fact, some people think it's necessary to kiss on a first date in order to determine whether or not there is chemistry.

"I always go by the vibe," Rebecca Carvalho told Refinery29. "If it's a good date and we're feeling it, why not?" But what if it's just a so-so date?  "Sometimes I'll have the first kiss to see if there's anything I've missed," she says. "I think a kiss can tell you a lot about a person. It's such an intimate thing—even when you're doing it superficially, it can be a huge calling card."

While it can be nice to let someone take the lead on a date, modern women know what they do and don't want to do, and don't want to be limited to waiting around for someone else to plan things. Not only that, but dating coach Karen McCarthy writes on her website that men in modern dating are often "vague or unclear about what to do on a date," which can be frustrating.ae0fcc31ae342fd3a1346ebb1f342fcb

"If you are dating online and you feel more comfortable choosing a local spot, then you can suggest that," she says. "Also, if you have been dating awhile you can return the favor by suggesting a creative date, hopefully based on your shared interests. There are no hard and fast rules about planning dates, just guiding principles."

In the past, many people would strongly caution against bringing up anything serious on a first date, or even on the second or third. Keeping things "light and airy" was the key to making things work. But these days, serious conversations are sometimes necessary and a good way to decide if you should continue seeing someone.

"Good communication is the secret of a successful relationship," relationship expert James Preece says in an article for Bustle. "You should both feel you are able to say and ask anything, without fear of them getting annoyed. If this is an issue, then you'll never be able to grow as a couple."

In the world of old-fashioned dating, if it didn't work out with someone you had been romantically interested in or considered dating, you couldn't just be friends with them. But in the modern world, you see friendships develop between men and women all the time—regardless of previous romantic feelings.

"It plays into what I call the heteronormative script," Sandra Faulkner, a professor at Bowling Green State University, says in an article for Vice. "If you are operating under this script, then anytime you think of a man and women together, you assume it must be romantic—because of the scrip. It's based on the presumption that everyone is heterosexual; that romantic relationships are more important than other types of relationships. It's about the cult of romance—the idea that a romantic relationship serves all of your needs."

We've seen the scene in countless old films: A young man has to nervously ask for the parental permission of a woman to court their daughter, and then in the end, ask their permission to marry her. While people may ask their parents' thoughts on their partner, Bennett points out that this is no longer a "necessary formality." It can be good to get approval from family and friends, but this is usually done after you've started dating someone—not before.

In the past, while you were still young, you would date someone for a few months or years and then get married But Julia Bekker, relationship expert and founder of Hunting Maven, likes to remind people that "traditional guidelines have been vanishing in the modern dating world." Both men and women are waiting longer to find "the one," and there's less pressure to date or get married young.

"People of both genders are more cognizant of their needs and desires and spending more time focused on career," says Bekker. "[They] are taking their time to get to know their prospects so they can get a more accurate sense of who the best match would be for them, which is great because there's less settling which leads to more compatibility—and hopefully less divorce.

Additional reporting by Diana Bruk.