Why Dating in the 80’s Was The Best

By Jane Duncan, freelance writer

April 25 2022

In the 1980s dating was very different - there was no Tinder and Match.com for you to swipe right on. According to research done by Stanford University almost 40% of couples met through friends, 20% met at a restaurant or bar, and another 20% met whilst at college. Dating involved meeting in real life, talking, and really getting to know one another - which is of course why dating in the 1980s was simply the best. 

Public domain photo of couple hugging by Instagram Fotografin on Pixabay

First Steps

If you are looking for a date in the 2020s, you can be extremely proactive about it and join an online dating site. Although this is quick and easy, there are also some big issues, in particular with scams. Protecting your identity when dating online is essential and you need to be really savvy when disclosing anything personal. In a recent survey done by Kaspersky, 67% of people said that they have lied on a dating profile, meaning that not everyone is who they say they are. In the 1980s when you first got to know someone it was face-to-face in person, and if you met through friends or at work, there was always someone to tell you a bit of information about the person you were about to go on a date with. 
In the 1980s, when you first got to know someone it was face-to-face in person, and if you met through friends or at work, there was always someone to tell you a bit of information about the person you were about to go on a date with. 

Keeping in Touch

After your first date, if you wanted to keep in touch or arrange a second date, there were only a few ways to do this in the 80s - the most popular being to use the telephone (which was attached to the wall with a long cord). There were no text messaging or instant messaging services, and the paranoia that comes with this - there are two blue ticks, but why hasn’t he responded? In the 80s, you had to either make that call, or wait for them to call you. Then you had a proper conversation. Wasn’t life so much simpler? 
1980s Green Pushbutton Landline Telephone with notepaper and pen

1980s push button telephone image by Alexas Fotos on Pixabay (public domain)

Going Out

Where you went out on a date in the 1980s wasn’t that much different than it is today. You could head to the movies, go out for dinner, go roller skating, or go to the park for a picnic. What made the 1980s better than now though was that you’d get to see classic movies at the cinema like Footloose and Back to the Future, and dance to "It’s Raining Men" with your date at the disco - it was great fun! 

Dating in the 1980s was simple and you certainly wouldn’t be worrying about ghosting, catfishing and online trolls. Meeting someone new started in real life - the best way to find true love.