What men want more of from online dating

Many men said they wish women would refrain from "ghosting" them. Photo / 123RF

If you've tried you luckat online dating, you may have experienced the frustration that comes from composing - what you believe - is a clever first message, only to have your crush disappear forever into the black hole of cyber space.

In an attempt to debunk dating myths and help women land dates, Cosmopolitan.com has asked men what they wish women did more on dating apps - and the results are both surprising and insightful.

The men shared which messages inspire a response and the ones that fail to do so.

One thing the survey revealed most guys agree on is that men really do want women to message them first.

"It makes me more interested in her if she puts in the effort to get the ball rolling," said one man.

Rather than simply writing "hey" or "hi", it was found that men want ladies to make an attempt to spice up the conversation, with one man saying he wishes women would engage in political debate while another called for more stimulating conversation.

One man said he wishes women would be more transparent with what they're looking for from the outset.

Many men also said they wish women would refrain from "ghosting" them -an act where someone disappears by ceasing all contact without warning or explaination.

"At least be honest and say you're not feeling it," said one.

A recent study found that men are 98 per cent more likely to reply to more forward messages such as "What are you up to?" while females are 40 per cent more likely to reply to messages about food such as chocolate.

The study revealed men also have shorter attention spans: If they don't receive a message within six hours, a quarter of them will drop out of sight, compared with only five per cent of women.

People between the ages of 24 and 28 were most inspired by "lifestyle" openers such as "Better adventure: Rock climbing or scuba diving" or "Sunday priorities: Exercise, sleep or aggressive mimosas?"

The over-35 crowd liked lines like "Katy Perry or Taylor Swift" or "Bears, beets or Battlestar Galactica?"