It's 2018, and online dating is as widespread as the common cold.

It is nothing to be ashamed of. With the advancements in technology it was only inevitable that we humans would decide we needed to make meeting and dating another person even easier to do, and now we can do it in the comfort of our own home in sweats and a glass of wine in hand. It is online shopping for a life partner.

More and more millennials are taking the plunge with online dating since it has become a cultural norm. Before you follow suit, see what they say and see where your choice falls in line.

1. 86% of Millennials have used an App on their smartphone

Opposed to 13% who used a website's dating profile site.

"I like that OkCupid has you answer questions about yourself and what you’d want a prospective partner to answer because it lets you get to sorta know someone without awkward small talk" - female, age 21

"[The app has] terrible pick up lines and pointless conversation, Very limited social skills amongst users and very few mannerly individuals. But fun anyway." - male, age 19

"I loved that I could swipe through hundreds of dudes and have a plethora of options. A lot of people find that very shallow, which I can understand why. But if you're meeting someone in person, you're not going to want to pursue a relationship if you're not physically attracted to them" - female, age 23

2. Generally, there were mixed reviews about it

There is still a stigma that goes with app dating and all the stereotypes it has pinned onto it over the years since it's rise to popularity, even from the people who use it regularly. Nonetheless, it is slowly but surely becoming a cultural norm.

"Lots of fuck boys and people who ghost you. Hot guys that are like talking to a rock. But found my current boyfriend on bumble so not every experience was one. Also, have made friends I still talk to from Tinder. " - Female, 20
"PRO: I met my boyfriend of 2.5 years on the app :) CONS: I had to go through so many toads to find him. Seriously, some guys do NOT understand the concept of "I'm no longer interested." - Female, 20

"Positive. Never went on a date but it was fun chatting. But It just wasn’t for me. " - Female, 21

3. 86% of people used Tinder

With Bumble coming in second with 20%.

"[Tinder] is great for a quick hookup. I've had 2 meaningful relationships come out of them and at least a dozen meaningless hookups with people I don't talk to anymore." - Female, age 20

"Mostly positive. Never matched with anyone that was concerning. I like that the app allows you to unmatch people if it's going south or getting creepy." -Female, 22


"I did have success with Tinder, but did find my boyfriend on Bumble" - Female, age 20

4. In fact, a lot of people actually switched apps to others because they better suited their needs

It's a lot more common than you think to make a change, or even two, to find something that works for what you're looking for.

"I switched to Bumble. Fun fact: bumble was created by a female co-founder of Tinder after being harassed and discriminated against at Tinder. So she took the idea of Tinder in a way and made it better " female, 21

" I use whisper more frequently now because it's easier for finding a quick hookup. I hardly used Bumble and ended up deleting it because the time constraints bothered me " - female, 20

" "[I switched to] Her, because it is only for bisexual and lesbian women. You don’t have as much men marking their genders as women to then hit on you. " -female, 19

"Yes, I went to Bumble because that's for people who take things more seriously" - male, 20

"Yes. I got tired of Bumble because I didn’t want to respond first. I only use tinder now " - female, 23

"Yes, I switched to Bumble because of their rewind feature" - female, 22

5. They gave their brutally honest opinion about EVERYTHING

Despite the stigma, not one person regretted their choice to pursue app dating. In fact, a majority of them still use it as their primary source of social interaction.

"I love it. Because Tinder gives gay people a lot more options especially going to a small school where there is not a lot of gay people." -female, 20

"I wish bumble wouldn't make a match disappear after 24 hours if you haven't messaged them yet because sometimes I don't want to message immediately, but I don't want it to be gone if I am off of it for a day. Other than that I like it." female, 18

"Whisper lets people chat anonymously and there's less ambiguity about what you're looking for. It's easy to find people with niche kinks or desires and as a woman on this app, it's really really easy to find someone to hook up with since there are so many men on it. You can send pictures but not videos via Whisper's chat so it often leads to texting or messaging on some other platform " - female, 20

6. Their advice? Just go for it.

"My advice to anyone using a dating site/app is to be truthful and upfront with what you want. If you DONT like how someone looks, don't swipe right just because of "x, y, or z." Similarly, be upfront and honest about what you are looking for. If you want a casual hookup, say that. If you're looking for something more serious/committal, say that! " - female, 19

"If you're even thinking about it, just do it! It's a fun plunge to take when you're young and having fun, whether you're looking for something or not wouldn't it be better than looking back and wishing you had?" - female, 22