#Foreveralone is Ruining Lives

While it’s a tragically hilarious way to summarize just plain devastating events, #foreveralone is actually becoming a self-fulfilling prophecy to a lot of people who end up, well, forever alone. It’s almost like people of our generation have more fun laughing at themselves than laughing at others… Since when did we being accepting the fact that we will live day to day as sulkers?

The whole basis of the Internet meme and hashtag phenomenon #foreveralone is that your life sucks. People have started posting personal stories and even photos of themselves, summarizing it as #foreveralone. Sure, it’s just funny comic relief, but you don’t realize that Internet trends have all the impact on people’s outlook on things and overall mentality. Think about it: this is where we spend more than a quarter of each day. 

Here’s a cinematic example: Joseph Gordon Levitt in 500 Days of Summer. The sad loser character just happens to be “heart throb” JGL. Did Summer not just dump him for someone else? The man didn’t even shed a tear or show the slightest form of rage. Is this cool or something? #foreveralone  

Enough chickflicks star that typical girl lead: a self-belittling dork who cries eating Haagen Dazs while on the phone with her mom. #foreveralone

Reality is, not all of us who behave like JGL of 500 Days of Summer or Mila Kunis of Friends with Benefitslook like JGL or Mila Kunis. So basically, #foreveralone won’t work in your favour at all… You won’t be pleasantly surprised with an Autumn or a Justin Timberlake to sweep you off your feet. #foreveralone

#foreveralone is funny and entertaining until you catch yourself actually living the #foreveralone life. You wake up and go to your tedious job and spill coffee on yourself along the way, then you make yourself dinner and watch 10 movies before sleeping, repeat – while your friends are with their manfriends or busy being newly engaged. #foreveralone 

Rather than just spending hours on the Internet lonely and sad, wouldn’t it make sense to try and break free from it by meeting other singles online? It’s like a resource so easily accessible, yet a people still haven’t got it yet. You’re basically missing out on a life of sparks. Flare. Spontaneity. #foreveralone

If this article reminds you of a friend, you should probably share this link with them.

"Forever Alone is an exploitable rage comic character that is used to express loneliness and disappointment with life."- Know Your Meme

Try an Open Relationship At Least Once

My girlfriend told me that her friend from back home (Columbia) just got married to a guy she met online. They had been dating for 5 years, long distance. She lived in Columbia and he was from Canada, but he worked for the UN so he traveled a lot. Because of circumstances, the couple could only meet up once or twice a year – forcing them to maintain good communication through messaging services and Skype.

My favorite part of this love story isn’t the fact that they managed to last 5 years barely meeting in person – it’s that the whole thing was an open relationship, mutually agreed. Both of them saw other companions within their respective vicinities, not because they got bored of each other… But because they were bored without each other there beside them. 

If you’re thinking, ‘Oh, an open relationship. Must be some sleazy millennials who are seriously confused about what they want’ – clear that stigma. It’s honestly something that makes so much sense, but some uptight people labeled it as “unacceptable.” Long distance can be pretty brutal, but this Columbian-Canadian pair made it work; they’re happily married now, so does that not prove something? Monogamy is overrated.

I wonder if it would have been the same if they kept it strictly monogamous. It’s in our human nature to crave a little bit of lovin’ – both emotionally and physically – from time to time. She was sleeping with her colleague while he was with a local wherever he was stationed for the time being.

Isn’t it a little much to demand fidelity of someone when you’re not always around? More and more people are meeting online from different (and far-away) backgrounds. More and more people are being stationed abroad for work. More and more people should be opening up to something a little different. 

If you’re sure that you’ve met the right person, nothing will stop you from ending up together… Not even distance, not even a couple flings along the way. Now the only thing that might raise issues is if you’re the super jealous type – in that case, just don’t talk about it. No need. But I’m sure people who have experienced an open relationship could attest; you gotta try it at least once in your lifetime.

What Miss Kansas Teaches Us About Real American Beauty

The 2013 Miss America pageant really stirred things up on the Internet because of netizens' strong belief that Miss Kansas should have won instead of Miss New York. People are quick to judge that whoever is routing for Miss Kansas is racist, but there’s a whole lot more to Theresa Vail than just her blonde hair. Let’s pretend for a second that both contestants were Caucasian: Miss Kansas is still closer to the epitome of American beauty. All this talk about racism is distracting us from what’s really important here: that 22-year-old Sgt. Theresa Vail kicks a$$ in ways that more American girls can relate. The bombshell reminds us what it takes to be an attractive girl living in modern day America.

1. Be genuine

The main thing that really set her apart from the rest was her openly flaunted tattoo, which is typically a faux pas in beauty pageants. This girl was 100% herself, regardless of traditions or what other contestants were doing.

2. Be a little bit vulnerable

The 22-year-old tugged at our heartstrings with her story of how she was relentlessly bullied and suicidal at one point. No one likes someone who is perfect, because that doesn’t exist.

3. Be a little bit raunchy

Let’s be real – her side tattoo is borderline white trash. It is in no way classy, dainty or Audrey Hepburn. But see how times are changing and it’s no longer 1960? We all like a girl with an edge. Plus it is meaningful… just inked in super tacky cursive.

4. Be a hint of manly

Is there anything sexier than a girl in an army uniform? Or any uniform that belongs to a typically male-dominant profession? We live in a day and age where girls are manlier than ever before. Miss Kansas wears combat boots, handles guns and is training for a pilot license. 

5. But still look like a typical Barbie doll

Let’s not forget that this is still a beauty pageant – an American one. Barbie is blonde, has D-cup breasts and mile-long legs, a lot like Miss Kansas! Sure, she’s talented and genuine and edgy, but ultimately, it comes down to the fact that she’s still closer in appearance to a classic Barbie than Miss New York. Can’t deny that we all grew up playing with these dolls.

Sulkers of the Internet: People Who Write Missed Connections

How is this not pathetic?...

The other day, I saw this missed connections post; one of those tragically "beautiful" ones. After seeing this, I went on Craigslist to read more, which was a totally confusing and weird experience. Do these people actually expect to rekindle with some mysteriously charming stranger online? Am I the only one who finds these totally a waste of time and just plain depressing?

Missed connections are for people who sit around and wait for good things (like love) to happen to them. They miss chances and then regret missed opportunities, so they go online to post weird poem-like things saying, “I rode my bike right past you and smiled because you were beautiful.”

Let’s be real– missed connections don’t work. It’s just too creepy of a concept. Sure, the Internet is a platform that brings strangers together, but Craigslist seems more like a comfort zone for passive sulkers than a realistic solution for sad singles. It’s such a “hurting” atmosphere that isn’t inviting or attractive at all. It’s like a hub for hopeful dwellers and wishful thinking.

If you’ve got time to write a sulky post on Missed Connections, then you definitely have time to join a supervised online dating service for like-minded people. Sulkers don’t find what they’re looking for; go-getters do. It’s confusing to think that presently, in 2013, there are still sad single people. Missed connections prove this. Why do people sit there writing a depressing post when all they have to do is put themselves out there to find another somebody?

You’re not using the Internet properly if you’re just sulking on Craigslist. People need to stop this ASAP and go sign up to meet a large pool of new people. Wouldn’t that be the only practical way in boosting the well-being of single people?

Are You Dating Your Neighbor? Here's How the Breakup Might Go...

When you’re younger, your "neighborhood" seems like your entire world. Did you meet your first boyfriend on the playgrounds at school? Did you stay with the same guy throughout high school or college? Did you guys share the same group of friends? If you answered yes and are still going strong, that's great. But for those of you who broke up with that guy in your same circle of friends, how brutal was it dealing with the break-up? Seeing him around alllllll the time?

If you're dating your highschool sweetheart, imagine the break-up. You've been attached to the same group of friends for yearrrrs. Breaking free from this clique-y atmosphere will be hard. I once had a friend who lived and breathed to be in secret competition with her ex who was in the same friend circle. After a 4-year relationship in the same network, it was hard to break free from that. She was so caught up in the breakup that all she tried to do was seem fine around her friends, when actually, she was obsessively paranoid of what people were saying about her. What was once a comfortable close-knit community had turned into an awkward battlefield.

Are you caught up in a super tight-knit community of drama, gossip and in-your-face-ness? Are you aware that there’s a whole lot more of the world that will make your clique’s little problems seem absolutely minuscule?

In America alone, there are 50 states to explore. Chances are, the man of your dreams is not your neighbor. He doesn’t have to be your highschool sweetheart. Not even a dude you met at college. For those who have traveled or online dated, I'm sure you can all agree with me on this one!

The best place to see what’s really out there is the Internet, don't you think? Joining a social network instantly connects you with people from all over the country – and the globe. How else are you going to get a kick-start at cross-state dating or even just networking OUTSIDE of your teeny tiny community?

Enter Zepeel, making browsing for your perfect guy easy-peasy. Wouldn't you like to get away from the messy, intertwined network that makes your world feel so small? I suggest logging onto Zepeel to see what it’s like. Why wouldn't you be open to meeting people outside of your familiar comfort zone? It'll really surprise you!


I want to know what you think... Leave me a comment!

Gabby G

Online Dating: Advice for the Ladies

First post, this is exciting. Just call me the online dating guru because I will be sharing some pointers that will blow your minds.

For ladies who use dating sites, my first advice is this: stop sitting there in front of your computer screen, trying to guess what he will be like in person. Let’s face it; girls tend to make up unrealistic interpretations of photos. Once you finally meet the guy, it will not be what you envisioned; he could either turn out completely not-your-style or surprisingly cute, just unphotogenic (to say the least).

What I’m trying to say is: photos don’t ever do people justice. They’re misleading because they’re often outdated and easily manipulated. They’re ambiguous because you can’t put a voice to a face. And you can’t fully judge someone off of speechless, motionless photographs.

Rewind to the early 2000s, when online mingling started booming. These were the years of MSN Messenger, Hi5, Xanga, Friendster, etc. etc. Back then, online profiles were far from realistic; people would make up dream profiles with unclear webcam pics and random user IDs (e.g.: CooLGuY123).

Fast-forward to 2013 and times have changed. Online social networks have evolved. Now, it’s all about the real, genuine and timely. Dating services should be the same.

A lot of apps now have video components, to provide complete sensory experiences. Just like Vine or Instagram’s video feature, dating apps should let us watch, hear and feel the entire essence of people. I want real-time video introductions, as if I saw them in person -- no more awkwardly cropped photos!

This is why I’m so glad I found Zepeel; the first smartphone app that requires all users to have video profiles of themselves. These bios are real, legitimate and genuine. You can tell a lot more about a man through video; the voice, gestures and facial expressions make him come to life. Truly the new age of online dating, Zepeel is a fun and safe way to connect with genuine people.

It saves me time, too, because there’s really no room for ambiguity with real-time recordings. I’m not sitting there pondering whether or not I should message him. Isn’t time too precious to waste? If you agree with me, you need to download Zepeel NOW -– free at the app store for a limited time.

Until next time,

Gabby G