A Decade of Dating, How Things Have Changed

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I’ve been divorced ten years, and throughout that decade I’ve been a single dad dating. I’ve enjoyed a few long-term relationships, some short term flings, one-night stands, booty calls, blind dates, crappy dates, and couch sex. I’ve even been stood up. I've got sexy and funny dating stories, for sure.

How has dating changed in the last ten years?

I see three biggies that bear examining: online dating, the economy, and dating as a single parent.

The Rise and Fall of Online Dating

Ten years ago, online dating was hot hot hot. I had my pick of women to go out with, from yahoo personals, match.com, salon and nerve personals (those last two were the best. Sexy open-minded intellectuals. Yum…)

Any given week, I’d go out on two or three dates. Online dating really was a great tool for meeting new people, setting up coffee and cocktails greet and meets. I became a bit of an online dating expert (in a sick, funny way.)

Since then? Online dating sites have fake dating profiles to draw in new members or solicit spam, and hookers looking for clients. Oh, sure – there are legitimate profiles from real people using the online dating sites. Some of those people, in fact, are lifers I recognize from a decade ago. I don’t date online anymore. I’ve met most of my girlfriends in real life. But I do still look on match, in desperate hope that Ms. Sexy Hottie Right will be there.


The Economy – From Boom to Bust

Ten years ago, the dot-com bubble meant everyone in Silicon Valley had mega bucks, at least on paper. Women could date a hot busboy, and still feel like he would provide and protect like no other. Other women had their sites set higher, and would flat out ask in bars what job you did in what startup, and how many stock options you had. Yeah, Silicon Valley dating was all about money. And not much fun.

These days, everyone is broke! I’m more prone to shake up my favorite margarita recipe at home than head out to a bar and buy ten dollar cocktails for my date and myself. I go on a lot more hiking dates (i.e. they don’t cost a thing!) these days than I did a decade ago. While it’s nice to not worry so much about flashing the bling, with the down economy people are less prone to go out, making it harder to meet someone new.


Dating as a Single Parent

Ten years ago, my kids were three and seven. Dating as a single parent was pretty easy – any woman I met could picture herself having babies with me, and my kids being close enough in age for us to be one big happy family. Plenty of naked spooning in bed for me, back then.

These days, my kids are teens. Any woman I date either has kids off to college, or she is younger and has no intention of staying with me long term. Yes I have my share of booty call relationships, usually older men younger women affairs. Whatever works! Single parents need intimacy, too.


The Next Ten Years

Ten years form now, both my kids will be out of college. I’ll be in my 50s. Hopefully by then, I will have met a sexy vibrant woman at my same life stage, enjoying our empty nest years together.

If not, I’ll divide my age in half and add seven, and date a sexy 30-something who needs intimacy while she’s shopping elsewhere for a man who will someday father her kids.

So what about you guys? Do you agree with this? How do you think it has differed?

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