Treat your casual dating partner with respect. Be nice.
The thing that differentiates a casual dating relationship from a formal one is not that you get to shirk all responsibility to communicate like a human being just because things are non-exclusive. This doesn’t mean you have to send your special friend an emoji parade of feelings to their phone all day every day, but you also don’t get to just ignore them either. It’s not a matter of women being needy, it’s that it is so totally fucking easy to just text someone that you’re busy! People who can’t handle simple communication are the same kind of butt blisters who ignore texts for hours or days and yet will call upon the woman he is casually dating in a time of emotional distress. But it is unfair to treat a woman with less courtesy than you do your regular friends, only to rely on her during an illness in the family or a moment of professional uncertainty. Seeking women’s emotional intimacy and support while not committing to other basic courtesies sends mixed signals about your level of care for her.
“But what if I just want her support as a friend?” someone might ask, incredulous. First of all, once you start dickin’ her, you forfeit a lot of the benefits of friendship. Sorry, I don’t make the rules, I am just the shrill messenger here to remind you that your dick got in the way of your friendship. Secondly, that is what regular friends are for!