Am I The Only One Out There Who Actually Enjoys Online Dating?

I totally get why people hate on online dating. It’s frustrating, awkward, and sometimes a colossal waste of time. But even so, I don’t think it’s the worst thing in the world. Here’s why I actually enjoy using the digital world to find love:

  1. It’s the only way I get dates. I work from home, and my friends have exhausted their list of single guys to set me up with (which was never a super long list). If it wasn’t for the magic of online dating, I would be super single — as in the kind of single where I would never go on any dates at all. Since I’d like to meet someone in this century, that wouldn’t be great news.
  2. I’ve lived, dated, and learned. I shudder to think about my early days of online dating and how totally wrong I read some situations. I was convinced that the next guy would be the right one for me… only to realize later that the red flags were so bright, it was kind of nuts to even go on the date at all. My dating life is so much easier these days because I can figure things out pretty quickly and save myself tons of time.
  3. I’ve met some decent guys. For all my talk of how much it sucks to be single AF and dating, I have to admit that I’ve met a few decent guys. It can be easy to forget that when I’ve just had three dull first dates in a row, but it’s the truth. I actually like online dating because there really are some good guys out there — it just takes a while to find them.
  4. I’ve only had a few bad experiences. I’ve had a handful of mediocre dates, a few seriously boring ones, and one or two epic horror stories. I don’t get that many creepy or sexist messages, and it’s rare that I’ve felt truly unsafe or worried. Since I’ve never really had that many bad experiences, why wouldn’t I keep dating this way?
  5. It’s super convenient. It’s not like I have to even leave my apartment to find dates, and as a busy AF person, that’s really awesome. I can use these sites and apps exactly when I want and how I want. It’s not like anyone is forcing me to online date seven days a week, so what’s to hate?
  6. All my friends are dating this way. Save for the few lucky couples who met right before Tinder caught on, the rest of my friends are either single and online dating or they’ve met their partners this way. It’s honestly super normal for us, and it’s just a part of our lives. I can’t hate something that has brought others so much joy (and hopefully will do the same for me soon).
  7. I’ve had an epic almost love story. Sure, I may have had an almost boyfriend thanks to Tinder, but it was a fun few months and romantic in its own way. I don’t regret that experience, and without online dating, that never would have happened. I can’t imagine that since it taught me so much about not jumping in too fast and making sure there are no weird signals from the very start.
  8. It’s not actually different from real life. It’s a cliche at this point to say that using a dating app is like walking up to a guy in a bar and saying hey and having a quick chat. Sorry but I’m going to use that cliche because it totally works. I’ve met guys at parties and figured out if there were worth getting to know, and it’s exactly the same thing with online dating. I’m not going to hate something that is literally just like meeting guys the old-school way.
  9. The negative sides are totally in my head. Whenever I’ve decided that online dating sucks and I want to bow out, that’s on me. That’s when I let myself get down about all the disappointments and dashed dreams. Like anything in life, having a positive attitude will make or break my experience, and that’s something I have to remember.
  10. It works for me. I totally get that for some people, online dating is too weird and they would rather date the old-fashioned way. That’s awesome… for them. But this is what works for me and what I truly believe is bringing me closer to finding love with every log-in and every swipe and every first date I go on. It may not be easy, and it may not always be tons of fun, but I believe that the search is worth it.
Aya Tsintziras is a freelance lifestyle writer and editor from Toronto, Canada. In addition to writing about dating and relationships for Bolde, she also writes about movies, TV, and video games for ScreenRant and GameRant. She has a Political Science degree from the University of Toronto and a Masters of Journalism from Ryerson University. You can find her on Twitter @ayatsintziras and on Instagram @aya.tsintziras.
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