Let’s face it: as much as people make fun of it or look down on it, online dating is the way of the future and it’s slowly becoming the norm. It gives users more freedom, more choice, and more discretion. Online dating is always fun when you’re someplace new, and I think it can be a fun gateway to have experiences/meet people you otherwise wouldn’t be able to (hehe). Admittedly, there are a lot of people with plenty of red flags on there, but I do believe that there are also a handful of good, honest people who would make a great match for someone! It really just boils down to what you’re looking for. Ultimately, the most important thing [when it comes] to online dating is common sense; you can’t be naïve online, but if you’re careful and look out for warning signs, it should make the experience better.

In what scenarios would you be against online dating?

If it’s being used to scam or catfish, hahaha. I think people forget that online dating is still dating, so there needs to be a level of respect and communication present between both parties, even if it is just through computer-mediated communication (CMC). We’re all adults here so let’s act like it.

See also: Swipe Right, Fall in Love: Pandemic Romance is Digital (And There's No Use Fighting It)

Besides the obvious deterrents like the potential for catfishing or the mindless barrage of small talk with strangers, I particularly find the virtual experience of getting to know someone quite flat. I prefer to experience another’s company IRL (In Real Life), as they say, so I can understand and get to know their quirks and mannerisms, all of which I consider essential to getting to know another person deeply.

I grew up in an analogue world and the intricate performativity that online dating demands exhaust me. It requires one to be ‘on’ all the time—to be witty and think of an equally sassy retort in order to further interaction or create an ‘exciting’ atmosphere.

In real life, there’s space for silence, space for the lived environment. The ‘blanks’ also matter because it reifies between two people a comfortability to just be—without bells and whistles, without filters or mindless meandering.

What would it take to change your mind? What would be the exception(s) to the rule?

Though I have my hesitations, I do believe in the capability of life and people to surprise you. So while it may not be for me now, at the end of the day… who knows?

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