Last Updated: 12 October 2026

I love online dating. The sheer scope of online dating in the 21st century is one of my favourite things about this generation so far, as we have the opportunity to expand our horizons and meet all kinds of interesting people at the press of a button. It might not always lead to a fairytale ending, but I think everybody should give online dating a whirl at least once in their lives. Here are the four best things about online dating, before you start it’s worth reading some tips for meeting someone new online. 

You can meet anybody from anywhere, or keep it local

If you’re from a small town, sometimes you want to cast your net a bit wider and find new people so that you can enjoy more dynamic experiences together. This is especially useful if you’re going to be moving to somewhere new, and you want to get a feel of the vibe before you go. Of course, if you want to keep things a bit closer to home, there are always local dating sites to try – for example, finding someone on an dating site means you live in roughly the same place, and a new relationship isn’t likely to lead to any big life changes like moving locations to be together.

You don’t invest too much time and energy into the wrong person

One of the worst things about dating is that it takes a lot of time and energy to get to know somebody, from getting ready for each date, to sit through three or four dates before deciding that this person isn’t the one – not to mention the money that is spent on these dates! Online dating is great because you can speak to a few people at once, getting all of the usual first date chit chat out of the way quickly so that you can get a better idea of how compatible you really are. 

You build a deeper connection before you even meet

Because you’ve spent time chatting online, you generally feel a bit freer to share things than you do on an awkward first date. The great thing about this is that, by the time you meet face to face, you already know each other on some level and can skip straight past the small talk and onto something more worthwhile. 

You meet people who don’t go to your usual haunts

If you’ve been on the Oxfordshire dating scene for a long time, chances are you’ve been to all of the most popular places – and so have all of the people you’ve already dated! Online dating is great because it means expanding your horizons and meeting people who go to places you’ve never thought to go to. And if the relationship doesn’t work out, at least you’ve got some new pubs and clubs to try out! 

Have you ever tried online dating? I would love to hear about your experiences if you have – and if you haven’t, I’d love to hear why not!