Life

4 Ways To Casually Date If Tinder Isn't For You

by Brianna Wiest

Casual dating has always been hard — and in many ways, the digital age has actually made it harder. (Yes, you read that right.) Sure, you have access to essentially every single person within a certain radius around you, you can basically search for the exact partner you're looking for on a compatibility site — down to the height range — yet there are deeper social implications that have emerged because of it. Simply, it's no longer normal to do things to meet people IRL. Essentially, for all the good it's done (and many loving partnerships it's created), dating apps have also essentially paralyzed us in the face of our fears. We don't approach people, or get set up on blind dates, or assume we'll meet someone through a friend of a friend, as it's just not "cool" anymore.

It's totally fine if online dating just isn't for you — but in all fairness, it does make it quite difficult if you don't want to be about that single life forever. I'm not saying it's easy to date, or even meet people IRL, but I am saying that there are ways to get out there and find companionship that you may have forgotten about (or stopped thinking about, really). Sure, there are stigmas around dating sites as well (though increasingly less so, as time goes on) but there is something kind of old fashioned and charming about meeting in person first. (I cannot believe I just typed that. Moving on.) Here are ways to casually date if you don't want to live that Tinder life:

Hangout In New Social Circles Often

It's actually not that you "never meet anybody new," it's just that you don't actually go grab drinks with the friend you made in yoga class, or go out with your cousins and their friends when you visit, or stay anywhere but within your tiny social comfort zone. If you want to stretch how many people you're meeting, you have to stretch how many people you're seeing, period.

Be Open About Being Interested In Meeting Someone

As soon as you're honest with friends, or even acquaintances, about your intentions, everybody goes scrambling to figure out who they can set you up with. Sure, that may be the particular shade of embarrassment you were looking to avoid, but honestly, is that really worth potentially missing out someone a good friend hand-picked for you?

Go On Blind Dates

Explicitly ask your friends who they can set you up with. Be bold! You might be surprised with the results.

Don't Cross Off The Clichés

Don't be so quick to run out the door when you lock eyes with someone while grabbing lunch, and actually call the people you meet while you're out at the bar. Take classes you're interested in. Do what you most want to make time for. Your person will be waiting in the same place you'd go.

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Images: Giphy (4); Unsplash