By Tiff Baira
Modern Dating. Easy.
You've got a date. Exciting, right? Whether you're about to meet the love of your life, a temporary fling, or someone who will make you regret ever downloading a dating app, you need a game plan. Modern Dating For Dummies author Tiff Baira shares tips to hype yourself up and handle the dating scene with humor and grace.
Modern Dating For Dummies
Dating can be fun, exciting, draining, disorienting, dangerous, and more. And if you're one of the millions of people in the market for a new partner (or two), how can you make sure that your dating life is more exhilarating than exhausting?
Enter Modern Dating For Dummies, a straight-forward and friendly guide to getting the most out of contemporary dating without ending up as a cautionary tale in the next catfishing documentary on your favorite streaming service. Author Tiff Baira, NYC's official TikTok Cupid and dating guru, walks you through how to date like a champ. You'll learn how to sort the red and green flags, how to keep your confidence high (or get it back), protect against outright scams and frauds, and navigate new kinds of relationships.
Tiff Says
The best dates are the ones where you feel like yourself. No matter what happens, the best thing you can do before a date is to remind yourself who you are. You're fun, attractive, and deserving of good energy. The date goes great? Amazing. If not? At least you have a funny story for the group chat.
No go out there and own your date like the main character you are!
From the book
Confidence boosters, reality checks, and post-date pep talks
Confidence Booster
You put in the effort. Maybe you’re rocking that outfit that makes you feel invincible. Maybe your hair is serving, or your skin is glowing. Either way, you’re walking in like Beyoncé at an award show.
Confidence Booster
The moment you stop treating dates like life-or-death interviews, you actually start enjoying them. Not every date has to be a soulmate screening — sometimes it’s just a chance to flirt, eat good food, and enjoy human interaction.
Confidence Booster
You don’t need to rehearse every possible conversation in the mirror before leaving. They like pineapple on pizza? Great. They don’t? Not a dealbreaker. Take a deep breath and roll with it.
Reality Check
Kindness is a basic human requirement, not a VIP pass to your time, energy, or body. If they’re nice, great. That doesn’t mean you owe them a second date, a kiss, or anything beyond common courtesy.
Reality Check
Sometimes, people just don’t click, and that’s okay. You are not everyone’s cup of tea, just like not everyone is yours. If they’re not feeling it, they are simply making room for someone who will.
Post-Date Pep Talk
Whether it was a romantic success, an awkward disaster, or a neutral “meh,” you did it. You put yourself out there. You deserve a gold star (or at least a post-date snack).
