Once you have the other person’s contact information, now it’s time to set up a meeting (or “date,” if you prefer.) Given the nature of the site you met on (casual, sexual, hookup-oriented) you don’t have to share your life story or sell yourself too much at this point.

When deciding where and when to meet, continue to keep it casual. Set up a date and time for your meeting that’s sooner rather than later – as in, within the next few days – but don’t get too stuck on the details. Best-case scenario, you can arrange what to do and where to meet when the upcoming date arrives. The less you plan, the less the entire situation can be over-thought. Pro tip: Keep a few date ideas in mind, but most of all, keep it light and fun.

The best casual encounters will always be those in which you can actually be yourself. To replicate that from an online meeting, try to go with the flow to eliminate any pressure, prejudgements, or consequences, and simply focus on enjoying your time with a like-minded partner.

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The idea is always similar: Everyone’s horny, and full-on relationships are complicated

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It may be true that in today’s day and age, we’re more digitally enabled and culturally transparent about casual sex than ever before, but actually finding casual sex partners still seems like the elusive Holy Grail of online dating sites.

Sure, you know where to go when looking for a no-strings attached interaction – think Adult Friend Finder, GetItON, Passion best apps for a hookup and many more – but simply logging onto one of these self-proclaimed hookup sites hardly ensures your sexual needs will be met.

As frustrating as it may be, the irony can’t be ignored: You’re seeking nothing more than a straightforward, hassle-free sexual engagement (a one-night stand, say), yet getting such an arrangement is the biggest tease of all, and far from easy, no matter what you try.

It’s not that there aren’t interested women out there. After all, not everyone is looking for a long-term relationship. In fact, millions of attractive, diverse, interested singles (yes, single women!) are on hookup sites at this very moment, but simply putting up a profile and browsing aren’t enough. You still have to interact, show interest, exchange information, and participate in a conversation.

Furthermore, thanks to the pseudo invisibility cloak people often put on when interfacing through digital screens, users are much more likely to feel comfortable signaling interest in casual encounters and casual hookups online, even if they don’t actually plan to follow through with the act. That goes doubly for women, who are often shamed for expressing interest in casual sex in person, but might be more comfortable finding potential partners online or on an app . which raises another question: What exactly is casual sex?

What Is Casual Sex?

The phrase “casual sex” (or the concept thereof) gets tossed around a fair amount online. Perhaps you’ve seen ads promising “singles near you” looking for “no-strings attached action”?

But what is casual sex, exactly? Where is the line between casual sex and its opposite – serious sex, one supposes? And where did it come from? Let’s break it all down.