With the age of Tinder, Grindr and Bumble letting us get our dating game on from the couch, the traditional world of real life dating has been slowly declining.

However, we don’t think it’s entirely dead. For those who feel lost when it comes to the dating scene, you’re not the only one. We’ve broken down the pros and cons so you can get out there and meet your soulmate.

Online Dating

PRO: Online Dating Is Super Convenient

Almost all the popular dating apps and websites are entirely free to join. Within a couple of minutes you can make a profile and start hunting for ‘the one’.

You can easily swipe left or right, message people who are interested and possibly meet up by the time the weekend rolls around. All from your the comfort of your couch.

CON: Online Dating Can Be Dangerous

While we all think we’re technologically savvy, there’s still a chance that someone can fool you with a fake online persona. If we become entirely engrossed in an individual, it’s hard to notice the red flags.

Just because they’ve got a nice photo and you’ve been texting for a long period of time, doesn’t mean you should entirely trust them. It’s always a good idea to meet up IRL in a public place to confirm they are who they say they are.

PRO: You Can Easily Avoid People

The good thing about online dating is that you don’t have to meet the person until you feel comfortable. If you don’t like them, you can easily block them and never deal with it again; something that’s super hard to do IRL.

It’s also easier for introverts to flourish online as it takes away the social awkwardness.

CON: People Can Lie About Themselves

People can say whatever they want about their life online. You could meet Gary, who says he’s on an NBA team but has really never played a game of basketball in his life. Nice try, Gary. You can’t believe everything you’re told.

Real-Life Dating

PRO: Real Life Dating Is So Romantic

When I first started uni, I remember the Dean of my Faculty saying that our soulmate could be in our tutorial, lecture or sitting here in the very same room. It’s not the point of uni, but it’s an interesting thing to think about.

Meeting and bonding over someone you met at uni, a concert or mutual friends is super romantic. You can actually meet them and see the bond in real life time, rather than on the screen.

CON: It Can Get Super Awkward

Real-life dating can cause potential problems if you end up dating one of your friends. If it all goes haywire, it will result in not only one painful break up but multiple. You could find yourself in a situation where you’ve split up a friendship circle or caused rifts between your friends.

PRO: You Know Exactly Who The Person Is

Unlike online dating where you can create a new identity, it’s a lot less likely for someone to do that in real life. Liars are easily caught out.

In real-life, you can be sure that the person is actually real which will make it easier to trust what they say about their study, interests and career. They have a name, a voice and a real-life body compared to just a photo and a few messages on a Tinder or Bumble profile.

CON: It’s Tough For Shy People

This is sort of a pro, sort of a con. Online dating seems to favour introverted people, while extroverts probably find real-life dating their strength.

If you’re a shy person, you might find it hard to meet new people and strike up conversations with strangers. It might be tough for you! Extroverts, though: you’ve got it good.

Sinead Simpkins studies Master of Arts at University of New England. When she’s not studying, she’s still waiting for her Hogwarts letter.

(Lead image: Broad City/Comedy Central)