Technology has replaced a lot of things over the years. Letters turned into phone calls and phone calls turned into texts. Orchestras became bands, and bands gave way to DJs.

Nothing has been safe from the advance of technology – not even dating. Whether it’s due to laziness or the overwhelming fear of rejection, more and more people have turned to technology in hopes that calculations and algorithms are a better judge of character than they are.

It’s not just technology that’s changed the dating game either; it’s today’s culture in general. When compliments are more often seen as catcalls, and most phone numbers are exchanged at the club – if at all – conventional courtships are essentially null and void.

This has ushered in the wave of Internet dating – it’s not just for parents anymore.

The world has come a long way since those cheesy eHarmony commercials, and now there’s an app or website for everything from hook-ups to religious courtships.

Tinder

The app that really revolutionized how young adults view Internet dating is Tinder. This handy little program lets you swipe ‘yes’ or ‘no’ on hundreds of people, and when you find someone who swiped ‘yes’ for you as well, a chat box pops up.

It seems fun and relaxed on the surface, but there’s no masking the fact that Tinder pits people against each other solely based on looks. This inevitably led to a lot of people just looking for hook-ups, and a witty group of women using the app to get a lot of free dinners from strangers. If you aren’t looking to get too invested in making a profile and filling out questionnaires, Tinder’s a good choice for you.

Bumble

On the other hand, if you’re not looking for an app with a notorious reputation for hook-ups, you may want to try Bumble. It’s essentially the same premise as Tinder, photo profiles and plenty of swiping, except only the women are allowed to message first. This fact alone may have deterred a lot of the juiceheads looking for a quickie from joining up for the service.

OkCupid

At the end of the day, these apps are still pretty shallow. If you’re looking for something that assesses personality, but you aren’t ready to dish out the money for an eHarmony subscription, check out OkCupid. Although you can use the service as a Tinder- like app, there are extensive surveys that allow you to check your compatibility with matches. The only drawback is that the service runs on a ‘freemium platform’ meaning some features, such as private profile browsing, are restricted to paid-accounts only. As long as you aren’t afraid to send out a “Hello,” OkCupid is a pretty good way to find new matches.

Match/eHarmony/PlentyOfFish

If the thought of spending a couple dollars to find true love doesn’t deter you, then take a look at services such as Match, eHarmony or PlentyOfFish (POF). Although these e-dating giants offer feature- restricted free trials, they really excel when it comes to their premium services. These companies pride themselves on highly researched personality questionnaires and the ability to filter your searches. You can find potential matches by interests, age, location and even religious preferences. All in all, the extra couple of dollars you spend will save you countless hours browsing through profiles littered with deal breakers.

It seems like the conventional courtships of sending flowers and not-so-anonymous love letters are things of the past. Sure, it’s still possible to meet new romantic interests, if you’re at the club, but why not embrace the new methods? Maybe you’ll have better luck. It’s certainly cheaper than buying them drinks all night in hopes that they’ll come home with you.