Sending a Facebook friend request too soon… and 5 other ways NOT to get second date

A STUDY has revealed the do’s and don’ts of dating for unlucky in love singletons who are looking to bag a second date.

From too many kisses on a text, to sending a Facebook friend request and taking longer than 15 minutes to respond to a message, each one slashes the chances of a second date, says new research.

And according to the survey, men should text first after a successful first meeting and women should respond within a quarter of an hour if keen.

But during conversations, you should only send a maximum of TWO kisses, any more and the potential love interest may be put off, any less and you’re in danger of seeming ‘cold’.

The study of 1,500 Brits, commissioned by TLC’s Undressed, also found that kissing is acceptable at the end of date one, if it’s gone well, but it’s more likely after the second encounter.

Jo Hemmings, behavioural Psychologist for TLC’s Undressed, said: “The advance of smartphones has made dating both easier, and more difficult.

“There are countless apps to help people find dates, but the conundrum of how soon to follow someone on social media or get in contact opens up a new layer of pitfalls.

“Our parents may have had nothing more complicated to worry about than when to ring a date up on the landline, but these days there are dozens of methods of communication that all have to be carefully orchestrated.”

The research also revealed that three is magic number when it comes to when is the appropriate time to stay over, but one in 10 said they need over 10 dates to reach that stage.

The study also showed that waiting for the other person to text first is a definite no-no, as half of respondents say that they want their potential love interest to make the first contact.

It seems that playing it cool may be a thing of the past too because a third of people reckon they’ll text back within a quarter of an hour, with just five per cent saying they’d wait as long as two hours.

Just 23 per cent of people think that texting back straight away is a sign of being ‘too keen’ with the majority of Brits saying they’re happy to get right back in contact with a potential love interest.

Social media seems to be a trickier topic, on average, it’s best to wait until some point between the third and fourth dates before sending a Facebook friend request or following them on Twitter.

Half of us say we’ve looked up a potential date online before meeting in person, to get a feel for their personality and see more pictures.

But 15 per cent say they’ve cancelled a date after seeing something on social media they didn’t like.

When actually on the date, there are countless faux pas to avoid, the worst of the lot being talking about an ex too much, followed by poor personal hygiene.

One in 10 Brits say, they’ll cancel a date with someone if they talk about themselves too much.

The reasons for breaking off a relationship after a date range from finding out the date is already in a relationship, to one respondent admitting that they couldn’t stop staring at a date’s mole.

Clare Laycock, VP, Head of TLC said: “In Undressed, couples strip to their underwear on their first meeting and jump into bed.

“It removes all the barriers by putting daters in the situation of accelerated intimacy – in real life, it takes a lot more to get to that stage.

“Hopefully our survey will help romantic singletons get over some of their fears of dating – after all, forewarned is forearmed on the battlefield of love!”

Undressed airs on Fridays from 15 July, 10pm on TLC.