Let's go on 50 first dates

The movies lied to us. First dates aren't deal-breakers. They're just the starting-point for a romance to bloom

- By Kritika Kapoor

Finally, those weeks of awkward Hinge ping-pong have led up to the main event: The first date. Palpitations. Suddenly, everything matters. The venue can't be a cliché, obviously. It's got to be an escape room, a palm-reading session, a wrestling match. Are jeans too casual? Is a dress too try-hard? The icebreakers are locked and loaded: Netflix faves, bucket-list countries, Lolla dream lineup, to Comic Con or not to Comic Con.

Then, the real questions: Who should pay? Should you kiss? When should you text? And, of course, were you your best, most glitch-free self? First dates are now high-pressure situations. Blame it on the movies. Or the books. Or the entire romance industrial complex. “They make love at first sight seem like a moment you can trust. But in real life, that moment is rarely the full picture,” says psychologist Aekta Brahmbhatt.