3 Reasons You Should Open Your Mind and Your Heart to Online Dating

You’ve heard plenty about online dating, but until now, you’ve probably resisted its call. You tell yourself that you’d much rather meet people in person because you’ve heard too many horror stories about online dates that’ve gone wrong. Here’s the thing, though: online dating isn’t just what you might think it is. You can have your first date at a coffee shop if that’s what makes you comfortable, or you could skip the “date” altogether and just go to someone’s house for a casual hookup. Here are three reasons to give online dating a fair shot.

It’s For Adults of All Ages

Online dating has a reputation for being exclusively for people in their twenties and thirties. That may have been true a decade ago, but it’s simply not the case anymore. A poll conducted by the Pew Research Center found that nearly half of Americans knew someone who has used an online dating service. It’s not for desperate people or people who can’t get a date any other way. Rather, it’s for everyone who wants to use it, and the cultural stigma is fading as more people try it out for themselves.

Dating apps like Tinder may be geared mostly towards millennials, but there are sites for people of all ages and lifestyles. There are even sites to match people of similar faiths with each other. It’s true that some dating apps and sites will have more users than others, but there are more options than ever before.

It’s a Handy Way to Meet People While Traveling

What do you do if you’re traveling and don’t feel like going back to your hotel room alone? Twenty years ago, you had to go to a bar and hope to find someone worth a one-night-stand. That’s a crapshoot at best, but now you can increase your odds by using adult dating sites. It’s an easier, safer way to screen people for compatibility. If you find someone attractive, you can send them a message. If they respond, then you might be well on your way to having a memorable vacation fling.

If you are looking for some action while aboard, you’ll have plenty of company. 58 percent of those surveyed by TripAdvisor admitted to a “vacation romance,” although that phrase likely means different things to different people. Remember to have ground rules and always use protection. Very few vacation romances turn into anything long-term, so it’s best to just go into things expecting to have nothing more than a lot of fun. As long as everyone is on the same page, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with being an adult who knows what they want.

Going Out On Dates Is Good Practice

It’s good to go outside your comfort zone occasionally. Think of this kind of dating a metaphor for an indie film that you’re not sure if you’ll like. Go into it with an open mind, but feel free to leave if you’re just not feeling it or something about the situation makes you uncomfortable. Some dates will end in a passionate embrace, while others will end with an awkward goodbye. The former is definitely more appealing than the latter, but you learn something about yourself with every date you go on. It doesn’t matter if you’re twenty-five or seventy-five; you’re never too old to try something new. If you like it, great. If not, then you can chalk it up to a lesson learned.

Loneliness is a very common ailment, but it’s also a very curable one. 70 percent of Americans have admitted to having at least one one-night stand, so if you’re looking for something quick and easy, there’s a significant chance that you won’t be the only one.