5 Different Ways to Find a Date in the Modern World

If you have ever sat through your parents’ or grandparents’ “how we met” stories, you may have an inkling of how vastly different today’s dating scene is compared to the days of yore. Back then, dating was often a long-winded, uptight process that usually involved the decisions of immediate family members. Today, it’s not rare for people to find a date (and potential life partner) with just a phone, a sturdy internet connection, and a stroke of luck.

Much like their international counterparts, today’s single Singaporeans are open to the idea of dating around. A 2019 survey by the National Population and Talent Division (NPTD) states that 2 in 3 singles in Singapore reported that they enjoy going on dates, with more than half saying that they go on dates once a week at a minimum. However, according to the same survey, 7 in 10 said they don’t have enough opportunities to meet new people while 2 in 3 said they lack the time and energy to go on dates.

Singapore is an exciting place filled with interesting people, and there are plenty of ways to get in touch with them to grab lunch and see how it goes. In this article, we’ll look at some of the ways you can get a date in a way that fits the current age.

Sign Up for a Dating Service

Matchmaking may be a practice that goes back to the time of your ancestors, but you’ll be surprised at how efficiently this method can work. A dating expert can give you professional insights into your life, personality, and interests that your friends may not be able to give. A modern dating service can also use various tools at its disposal to select like-minded people who are aligned with your beliefs and outlook.

Unlike a dating app, the potential matches you will be introduced to via a dating service are already vetted beforehand. You can trust your dating expert to find suitable people, making the burden of doing assessments a bit lighter on your end. If you’re interested in enlisting a professional to help out with your love life, maybe registering with a dating agency in Singapore is right for you.

Use Dating Apps

When talking about ways to get a date in the modern age, one should not discount dating apps. According to a Milieu Insight survey, 42 percent of Singaporeans have used an online dating app at some point in their lives. So while dating apps are not the most preferred method that Singaporeans use to meet someone, apps should not be disregarded as a potential avenue, either.

Dating apps allow you to take charge of crafting the way you present yourself digitally, much like the way you customise your social media profiles. You also have more agency when it comes to choosing the people to interact and meet up with. Although dating apps have a reputation for short-term arrangements, we should not discount the rare instances of successfully finding love through app algorithms.

Mingle with Hobby-Related Communities

For most successful couples, a common interest is their primary launch pad. After all, people are usually keen to ask about favourite books, movies, and shows when they meet someone new. If you have a hobby or interest that elicits deep-seated feelings, maybe you can find someone who shares that same enthusiasm and possibly understand you on a deeper level. Web groups can be a great place to start, but you can also hang out in “real world” places such as conventions, movie screenings, sporting events, and music festivals or gigs.

Participate in Speed Dating Events

You may think that speed dating is more of a thing in the movies, but it does, of course, exist in real life. If you’re unfamiliar with the practice, it is a matchmaking concept where participants are seated at opposite sides of a table and ask questions to each other. At a speed dating event, pairs are required to converse before time runs out and they have to switch partners. The goal is to help participants get a broader sense of their prospects and narrow down who they might want to get to know more after the event.

Speed dating may not be the best place to have meaningful conversations with an individual, but it can be fun for those who are in for the thrill of it.

Hang Out at the Places You Love

Even with the vast array of opportunities that technology presents us, the good old-fashioned meet-cute will never be obsolete. As cliché as it sounds, you should not scoff at the idea of meeting a potential date at your go-to coffee shop, bookstore, or bar. It’s still possible that hanging out at your favourite spot can lead you to people with whom you can turn an icebreaker conversation into a blossoming relationship.

Shoot Your Shot

Whether you opt to use technology to meet someone or prefer a more “offline” way of doing things, the key to dating is trusting your gut and taking that chance. Regardless of the outcome, the most important thing is that you were brave enough to take the risk. In the end, you can pat yourself on the back for shooting your shot and not resorting to a lifetime of “what ifs.”