3 Most Useless Online Dating Criteria [EXPERT]

ProConnect Subscribe to Experts Blog By Dr. Christie Hartman. Posted on Jan 21st 2013.

Got love? If you're picky about eye color, you're begging to remain single.

When you enroll in an online dating site and fill out your profile, you have two main objectives: (1) tell people about yourself, and (2) tell people what you're looking for. And although there are exceptions, most people are general when describing who they are and what they want, but very specific when it comes to making choices from all those drop-down menus.

More from YourTango: 4 Dating Pitfalls Of Intelligent Women [EXPERT]

People advertise broadly (e.g. "I'm looking for a nice guy.") and search narrowly (e.g. straight, single men only, 5'10 or taller, college educated, with no kids, earning a minimum of $120K annually). And while this isn't the best strategy for your online dating profile, it makes sense, right? It's much easier to choose from a menu than to craft an essay that succinctly sums up the unique person you are and the unique person you want.

As I discuss in How To Find Mr. Right Online, the menus can be a problem. People focus too much on the menus. Height, weight, body type, income, hair color, eye color, education, neck circumference, toe polish color, whether you prefer skinny or flare jeans ... It's no wonder online dating can be such a pain in the ass.

Of all the criteria on any online dating site, some are helpful, while others are less so. However, when it comes to filling out your own preferences, there are three criteria that are utterly useless

1. Hair and eye color. It totally cracks me up to see some people say that they want blue or green eyes but not brown, or that dark hair is okay but not red. Yes, we all have our preferences but I guarantee you whatever pigment you aim to avoid, there is someone you'd be attracted to who has it. Leave this criterion alone and see what interesting people you meet.

2. Body type. Most of what makes the body type criterion worthless is what behavioral scientists call "measurement error." When we say we have blue eyes or brown hair, everyone knows what that means. But when you see "athletic and toned" or "curvy" be prepared for a variety of body types because everyone has a different idea of what these terms mean. Keep reading ...

More from YourTango: Dating A Divorced Guy? Beware Of The Top 3 Red Flags [EXPERT]

More dating advice from YourTango:

Other Articles/News by Dr. Christie Hartman:By Dr. Christie Hartman

If you're an Intellectual Badass (IB), you're bound to date people who aren't as smart as you. Either you'll know more about your specific area of expertise, or you'll outsmart them across the board. As with any asset, a formidable intellect can work against you in dating. If you're bright and you want to succeed at dating, there are ... Read moreBy Dr. Christie Hartman

It's impossible to date in the 21st century without, at some point, dating someone who’s divorced. Fortunately, most divorced singles have as many pros as they do cons. However, when it comes to dating divorced men, some are more ready to date than others. If you meet a cute divorced guy, be on the lookout for the following Red ... Read moreBy Dr. Christie Hartman

As part of my job as dating expert, I periodically get online and read online dating profiles, both men's and women's. I rarely come across a profile that impresses me. Sure, I'm a tough crowd. That's my job. But while some online dating profiles suck and need to be deleted immediately, most are actually quite decent, except for one common ... Read moreSee More