Let's not pretend, it's happened. You get bored with your dating life and make an online dating profile, don't really tell anyone about it and then ofcourse, you stumble onto one of your friends' profiles. And then another one. There's this social stigma around online dating still, but when everything is so digitized, doesn't it kind of make sense that dating could be too without it being "weird"?
Pro: It Saves Time
Balancing work and school and a social life is hard enough, and throwing dating into the mix is such a juggling act. Then there's all those dry periods where there just doesn't seem to be anyone physically around you who seems like dating material. And that hipster barista across the street from the bar you frequent is always too aloof, and that's just not gonna happen. But online dating is kind of like online shopping: it's faster, efficient, you can browse all of the fish and screen them before you decide to try one out.
Your date barely goes out? Next. Hates smoking (either kind)? Next. Too sporty? Neeext.
Con: People Lie. All The Time
Get used to all height/weight/age numbers being tweaked. Also, people love using outdated photos where they look fitter/hotter than they do now. It's a grey zone, but it's also just so misleading. Even if they're not lying, people tend to look better in pictures than in real life. And taller.
Pro: It Lets You Branch Out
It's just so much easier and safer to cling to your social circles sometimes, because they get you, you know? But, online, you come across people from parts of the city and from social demographics that you wouldn't normally even talk to. And they probably have different patterns of going out too, which means that you'll explore sweet new hidden spots in the city, sick divey bars that no one knows about, and events your friends never go to. It expands your horizons.
Sometimes, online dating can feel like an assembly line of dates where you have the same first date conversations with a new body every week or so. It's mind numbingly on repeat and there's just nothing romantic about feeling mechanical. Also, going into a first date armed with all this knowledge harvested from the other person's profile feels a little unnatural. I'm kind of really into learning things slowly about a person, not this avalanche of facts that I most likely won't remember for long.
Pro: You're (Mostly) Sure The Other Person is Single
It's just the most frustrating thing when you've spent forever macking someone in real life, putting just that extra effort to look hotter and to have a lineup of mind-blowingly interesting things to say around them--and then you find out they've actually been in a relationship this whole time. No, they weren't leading you on, they just have a flirtatious personality! Online dating saves you from feeling a fool. Unless, you know, the person you met online is a cheating whore that's actually seeing someone else alongside you. There's no foolproof way to know in real life or in the virtual, so.
Con: It's Not The Safest
For sure, you're totally badass and can handle all sorts of douchebags, but let's be real, you don't know this person at all, and for sure that's pretty fucking hot, but you don't know how much of what comes out of their mouth is true. It's the same in real life too, but in the virtual world you're way less likely to have mutual connections. Just saying, be smart and finish your drink before you excuse yourself to use the bathroom. Can't ever be too safe.
The pros and cons balance out in my head; online dating is probably not for everyone, but it's worth checking out. It might leave you with some interesting stories, if nothing else. Either way, you'll meet new people and if you let them pick date locations, you'll explore new spots in the city too.
What do you think Montreal? Are you pro-Okcupid or anti-Tinder? Sound off in the comments below.
