What on earth is random dating? In one sense, all dating is random, especially if you endorse the notion of love at first sight, i.e. no one plans to find their soul mate. You find him/her at work, at a bar, or even on public transit just by chance.
But what we are going to talk about in this article is speed dating. If you are reading this article, you have either experienced speed dating or planning to attend an event of this nature. (Who are we kidding? You have most probably landed on this blog randomly)
So what is speed dating all about?
The Format of Random Dating
While intricacies may vary from event to event, usually once the event starts, the ladies are instructed to be seated at a table with a number on it, and men will rotate at 5-10 minute intervals. In these short and random encounters, both persons ascertain whether going on an actual date is a good idea or not. Once the event ends, you simply put in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ online and you get your matches within a day.
The Benefits of Speed Dating
Very briefly, here are the major benefits of speed dating:
- It is speedy: The whole thing starts and ends before you even know it. Compare this to online dating, where you waste hours on end finding a decent single, and for the most part, that first date is awkward and exhaustive, both physically and mentally.
- You are in a safe environment: When you are dating online, you never know who is hiding behind an IP. Even the most trusted sites cannot guarantee 100% security. However, in a speed dating event, you are surrounded by dozens of people, and emphasis is placed on making you comfortable.
- You are not missing out on any thing: The very format of a speed dating event allows you to meet a variety of men/women. Hence, you are exposed to a great variety without wasting a lot of time. This increases your chances of finding someone worthwhile.
- There are no awkward silences: The 5-minute window compels both individuals to only discuss questions that matter instead of forcing themselves to make conversation.
It’s cost-effective: You are drinking and chatting with a variety of singles for less money than a full-course dinner. What’s there to lose?
Does it Actually Work?
No dating format is foolproof, and it is never easy to find your soul mate. Having said that, speed dating helps you immensely in this regard. You may think that 5 minutes are not enough to understand a person, but who says that you have to get married with someone you selected through speed dating? These events are just there to help you see if you find a particular person interesting or not. Based on this experience, you can ascertain whether it will be a good idea to spend a longer date with him/her or not. In fact, many people tell from experience that speed dating is a far pleasurable experience than online dating.