If You’re Tired Of Dating Apps That Feel Like Traps, Read This

Online dating is weird.

It promises love, but delivers anxiety. One minute you’re swapping Spotify playlists and joking about your star signs. The next? You’re unmatched for asking something too real — or worse, you finally meet and find out they're just trying to sell you an insurance package over coffee.

(I wish I were joking. I’m not.)

It’s like you’re stuck in a loop: match, chat, maybe meet, get ghosted, repeat. And if you’ve been in the game long enough, you start to wonder — is this actually how people fall in love now? Through filtered selfies and guessing games?
Honestly? It’s exhausting.

The Red Flags I Wish I Took Seriously

Let’s talk about red flags — not the obvious ones like “rude to waitstaff” or “won’t stop bringing up their ex,” but the subtle ones. The ones we brush off because we’re craving connection.

• Love-bombing in the first three days.

• “I’m not really looking for anything serious… unless you’re amazing.”

• Always asking you to come over, never out.

• Treating vulnerability like a trap instead of a bridge.

• Dodging questions with charm.

• Or texting non-stop for two weeks… then suddenly “too busy” to meet — every weekend.

And of course, there’s the type that plays along just long enough to hit you with a pitch: “Hey, have you heard about this amazing financial plan?”

I have. I just didn’t expect it on a first date.

The Green Flags Nobody Talks About

Eventually, you start noticing the green flags too — the kind that don’t always make your heart race, but do make you feel safe.

• People who ask thoughtful questions and listen.

• Someone who says, “Let me know when you get home,” and actually means it.

• The ones who don’t need to impress you — they’re just being themselves.

• Who makes plans and keeps them.

• Who doesn’t treat dating like a convenience store.

Green flags feel calm. They feel like clarity, like peace. And it’s sad how long it took me to realize that those were the kinds of connections worth holding onto.

Why Oncourtt Is Like A Breath of Fresh Air

Unlike dating apps that feel like swiping through résumés or soft-launching your personality in DMs, Oncourtt connects people through play and shared passion — specifically, pickleball (for now)

Yes, pickleball.

Because you learn a lot about someone when you're not seated across a candlelit table rehearsing your trauma story. You learn about them when you’re running after a ball, laughing at your own misses, cheering each other on.

Oncourtt makes dating less about appearances and more about presence.

You’re not matching with someone who just happens to live within a 10km radius. You’re meeting someone who shares your vibe — active, open, game for connection (pun intended).

It’s not another dating app. It’s a real-world filter for real humans.
And to be honest? This may be what gave you peace of mind.

Because here’s the thing — it’s not that dating apps are actually bad, there are a lot of great relationships that started from dating apps, too. It's just that sometimes there is a feeling like you have to perform on them.

The Real Green Flag

Maybe the real green flag is ease.
Maybe it’s not about fireworks or flawless banter — perhaps it’s about how someone makes you feel when you’re around them.

And maybe, just maybe, the best kind of connection starts when you stop performing and start playing.
So yeah, dating’s still weird.

But when it starts with something real — like a game, a rally, a shared laugh — it feels a whole lot less scary and a whole lot more worth it.