Online dating is fun and exciting, but does it really work?

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One way to meet new people in the age of the internet is online dating. While it may seem like an easy option, it’s not the best way to find your significant other.

It’s not always easy to meet people, especially in this day and age. It can be difficult to tell what’s really out there in the dating world. Then when you look at online dating, it gives people an opportunity to see what’s out there and it’s not always worth it.

Online dating has existed for decades now and while there are times that users have found their significant other through the medium, it’s not as easy as one might think.

Many people who participate in online dating do so in hopes to find “the one,” hook up or maybe at the very least, make friends. While the latter is not a bad thing in principle, many times people don’t get so much as a response from another person.

A lot of the time, a person is passed over at first glance because of their appearance and for not meeting another’s standards, like on Tinder or Bumble. That’s fine, but in the past when dating websites such as OkCupid and Plenty of Fish had people message someone first rather than “matching” with someone primarily off of looks. There have been instances when one could send a well-thought-out message and receive a reply of less than five words or no response entirely.

While that may indicate that you are wasting your time with someone who isn’t interested, it complicates matters that said person matched with you and showed interest initially, only to eventually exhibit the opposite.

There have been examples from social media such as TikTok where a user complained about how it’s harder for men to match with women than vice versa, according to an article from the New York Post. This user’s example said that a woman he knows matched with 39 men just after signing up on a dating app a couple of days before.

Women swipe more than men, but are far more selective than men, according to SwipeStats. It also found that the “average female user” receives three matches per day while men only receive one match.

Even the fun of meeting “a diverse range of people” can fade because after some time passes, the algorithm seems to identify one’s type and any possible matches might reflect similar qualities as previous ones, according to an article from The Guardian.

At the end of the day, dating apps and sites may open up many options to choose from, but it’s not a guarantee that you will meet “the one.” Meeting in person conveys more respect and regard, and contact builds closer bonds, according to an article from Support for Students Growth Center.

So sometimes, it really would be better to meet people in person to see the potential possibilities right in front of you.