The blind date, by most definitions, is a date where neither party has met each other, and has very limited information about each other beforehand. It is set up by a third-party, usually a trusted mutual friend. Normally, these blind first dates would be set up for people looking to find long-term partners, but they’re also a great way to meet new people outside your usual circles. However in 2025, as we’ve become more online than ever before, they seem to have lost their appeal. What once was a pillar of the dating world, and the subject of many romantic plotlines, seems to be more of a nostalgic reference—but is the blind date completely outdated?
Firstly, I think the integral concept of ‘limited information’ before a first date has a much different definition now than it did in the ‘90s or early 2000s–and I’m not just referring to the wormhole that is online dating. Judging by mine and some of my close friends’ experiences, even meeting someone organically is often followed by a full CIA investigation-style vetting process. It isn’t surprising that blind dates are not as popular anymore, because how blind can we really get? Even our first form of contact is more likely to be a social media profile than a phone number; we go into dating with a marketing strategy in mind, and we’ve made research a part of the experience.
I’ve been known to be one of the worst offenders of this: if I know your name, I could probably have a full report on your desk by the end of the day. In general, I think this has made standards for dating higher than previously and having access to this much information about a potential partner before we even meet means we become more liberal with rejection, and a lot less open-minded. Going out with a stranger that we can’t make judgments on first just isn’t as convenient and considerably less safe. Things that in the past would usually come out in those first date conversations—interests, preferences, habits—are now just a click away, with rejection happening before contact is even made.
On one hand, this saves people time by avoiding potentially incriminating arguments; on the other, the online information we base our judgements on can be superficial and we may miss out on finding real connections. After all, overlooking surface-level differences and compromising is a key role in love and commitment. Of course, the basis of setting up the blind dates themselves could be just as superficial, but with somebody else just making our judgements for us. In those cases, blind dates are one way to take chances and discover our real preferences through trial and error. Issues of safety around dating especially for women, have also become a lot more commonly spoken about in the wake of #MeToo, and a period of initial online contact before meeting is definitely something that can put people at ease. In this way I think online communication can add value to blind dates, and it’s important that the person setting up the date is someone you know and can trust with keeping you safe.
The concept of the blind date itself has no reason to be outdated– but it definitely could be updated. I’m not saying blind dates are always successful, but they are one way to keep dating exciting, and not entirely predictable.
Illustration by Hal Purton (@hop_sketch)