Hi Redditors,

Straight single M22 (college student), and whilst the question might seem a bit pathetic, it's a genuine one.

I've never been in a relationship before and I'm a virgin, and I feel like I'm actually having trouble genuinely getting to know girls my age I just met.
It's not necessarily my social skills - I'm reasonably good at small talk, initiating a conversation, finding topics to talk about, have a relatively big social circle and all that. Someone would (on average) describe me as a sociable, kind guy, reasonably good-looking - in short, an okay, somewhat average guy.

It's about the way I talk (particularly over text) with someone I'm sort of romantically interested in, there just seems to be a change in the way I talk.

If I had to describe it I would say: more flirty, but in a sort of mildly pushy way? Nothing actually "wrong" or inappropriate, it's just as if I'm expecting someone I barely know and who barely knows me to give back that same flirty vibe, while there's absolutely no reason why anyone would do that.

The crazy thing is: I'm perfectly aware of this, but it's as if I don't know of any other way of talking to girls that I'm potentially romantically interested in than this flirty (maybe even mildy sexual) vibe, which I don't like at all myself - and and I feel it's kind of scaring people off.

I promise you in all honesty I'm not some creep that's looking to take advantage of women or anything of that sort, but I just feel myself becoming sort of "desperate" for some genuine affection (as sad as that sounds), and I really don't like it.

Any experiences/tips/people who (used to) feel like this? Thanks for taking the time to read this, any answer much appreciated.