Do you ever wonder what dating was like "back in the old days"? Was it easier & better, or harder & worse? The answer: all of the above. Dating in Vancouver has always been challenging, particularly if you're seriously looking for a RELATIONSHIP partner, not a casual hookup. The challenges facing today's singles, however, are quite different than the challenges of dating eras past... here's why, and what it means for you: Dating Challenge Past:  it was harder for busy singles to meet anyone new, particularly if you weren't interested in meeting people in bars. This was before the era of online dating, Smart-phone apps and modern 'professional' matchmaking services in Vancouver.
  • The Good:  because it was harder to meet someone new, singles tended to take dating more seriously and were likely to give someone new another chance, even if the first date didn't go well.
  • The Bad:  because of the lack of good dating options, it was simply more difficult to meet someone compatible. For those with a large and active social network in the city it wasn't so bad, but for those singles & professionals who were busy or new to the city, it was tough meeting someone new.
Dating Challenge Present:  with the advent of online dating & Smart-phone app dating, many singles are going on far more dates today than the average single in Vancouver 20 years ago. Today's challenge is sorting through all the online or Tinder profiles and finding someone who's serious, honest and looking for a relationship.
  • The Good:  in spite of the drawbacks of online dating (no screening, misrepresentation, safety, etc.), it's still a better scenario than 20 years ago. Having more (or at least some) dates definitely beats having no dates at all!
  • The Bad:  the primary challenge in today's dating world comes if you're seriously looking for a relationship partner. Although free online dating sites like Plenty of Fish and Tinder are great for more 'casual' dating (read: hookups), they're not suitable for finding relationship partners - particularly if you're a busy single or professional who doesn't want to go on endless (bad) dates.
What this means for you:  if you're not looking for anything too serious, then by all means try the free online dating sites or Tinder (using suitable safety precautions as detailed in our previous newsletters).  If, on the other hand, you're looking for a relationship - avoid the 'free' services and try the paid online dating sites, or a personalized matchmaking service such as Executive Search Dating. Like many things in life, you get what you pay for.