Listen, ladies, I get it: that boy you swiped right on is super cute and from your first few messages seems really great, but hear me when I say this: Don't let him in easy.

Don't just take my word for it, either! A new study from the University of Rochester confirms that playing hard to get actually works!

Of course, you have to watch that you don't come off as arrogant or unapproachable, but it definitely won't hurt to come across as selective and show that you value yourself and your time. You're important, make sure your potential love interest realizes that.

Personally, I take my time when getting to know someone. I ask them questions to get to know who they are and where their heart is at right now. That new person you just met five minutes ago doesn't have a right to know the most personal facts about you or the details about the hardest thing you've ever been through.

And no, you don't have to go out on a date with them if you're not comfortable.

Make the person wait, make them show you they value your time and you. Anyone can go out on one date and call it a day, but it takes a special person to continue to pursue you and get to know you even when you're not just giving in to the pressure to go out on a date.

Playing hard to get isn't some sort of awful way of leading people on and tricking them into thinking you're interested, it's a way to truly figure out if someone values you and who you are. It shows if they care about more than just your physical appearance that they swiped right on. It shows that your personality and values and who you are important to them too.

It gives two people a chance to get to know each other first rather than diving into something at 1,000 miles per hour without any true knowledge of what you're getting yourself into.

I mean, really, if you jump at a guy the second he swipes right on your profile, what connection do you actually have other than, "he's cute."

Honey, he could be the cutest guy in the world, but he could also have the world's dullest or rudest personality to ever exist. That's not someone you want to waste time on or get invested in long term. Playing hard to get ensures that you only invest in those who are worth your time, are worth your energy, and have the potential to be a good match for you outside of just physical attraction.

Playing hard to get isn't rude, it's cautious and careful.

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