“Having someone who’s got your back and pushes you to improve is better than being the wealthiest person in the world.” – Bryce Ward 11/21/2020

2020. What a year to be alive. Let alone trying to date as a 20-year-old in Washington State.

Where To Meet?

Even before covid-19 locked down the whole world and forced everyone indoors, dating as a 20 year was still a challenge. There weren’t many options for those looking to meet people and find a partner the same age as themselves. When you’re 20, your time is focused either on starting your career or going to school. Plus, most dating events in town occurred at the local bar, which only allowed people aged 21 and up—social events with people the same age as you are few and far between. Your best hope was to host events and invite the friend group you put together during your time in high school. I became my group’s event planner. I hosted weekly board game nights and the occasional bonfire to sit around the campfire to trade stories.

Dating Sites Suck

Now with the covid-19 lockdown, the events are postponed, and we are forced online. When it comes to online dating, I will be the first to say it. Online dating sucks. I started using dating apps last December, just before 2020. I used Tinder to meet one girl my age, and became fast friends. Sadly we just weren’t the right fit for each other, but we remained good friends to this day. After my first test run with Tinder, I tried out more apps and even tested some of their paid versions. I have been on Bumble, OkCupid, Hinge, Coffee Meets Bagel, and currently, I am testing out eHarmony.

It feels degrading checking your profiles every day to see no new matches from my experiences with dating sites. And for some people, this can have a severe effect on people who are new to dating apps and don’t understand how they work. For example, Tinder uses an algorithm to sort possible matches depending on how many people like your profile. The more likes you get, the more often you are shown to people. However, get too few likes, and your profile quickly goes to the back of the line. When I was first starting, I felt a bit discouraged as this happened to me, and no matter how I updated my profile, it could not gain any traction. So before you start trying out online dating, dig into how the dating app works. Do your research. That way, you can find the right course for you to meet your partner.

Thank You!

Hey, thank you for reading this week’s post. I hope you found this week’s post interesting. I wish that there were more options for young adults under the drinking age to socialize. Until then, let me know down in the comments what your experience has been with dating. I would like to hear your stories and learn more about dating!

Thank you again for your time and for reading this post!

Have a fantastic day!

Sincerely,

-Bryce Ward