As Thanksgiving is upon us, it’s time to put aside our pride and simply be thankful for the blessings we have in life: our health, our family… and Tinder?

In this day and age, we can do just about anything with technology: read a book without flipping a single page, have groceries delivered with the click of a button, see our friends on the other side of the world on our screens, look at all of our ex’s Facebook pictures (wait a minute… don’t do that!), and even find a date.

As Aziz Ansari noted in his recent book “Modern Romance,” a 1932 study showed that one-third of married couples had previously lived within just a five-block radius of each other.  Case in point: My parents were next-door neighbors, and they celebrated their 35th anniversary this year.

Let’s compare that to my own dating experiences.  I sign up for a dating site like OkCupid.  I email a number of people.  Some respond, some don’t.  I line up dates with those who do.  The end.  Quite a different story, huh?

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, in addition to being thankful for my wonderful friends and family, my health, and the success of my business and my clients’ relationships, I’d also like to share five reasons we should be thankful this year, as it relates to dating:

1. Online dating exists.

Do you think the Pilgrims had a way to meet people across the Mayflower, let alone across the world?  Their best place to flirt was likely over the ear of corn they were growing, not on their couch in their pajamas using some new-fangled technology we like to call the Interwebs.  Now it’s easy as pumpkin pie.

2. We have options.

We live in a time when, for most of us, the choice of the person we date and/or marry is ours and ours alone.  Of course, parents have some influence in this decision, as do friends, but you ultimately get to choose the person who makes you the happiest.  Arranged marriages were the norm worldwide until the 18th century.  I feel lucky to live in this day and age.

3. Interracial, interfaith, and same-sex couples are more widely accepted.

A study published in November of 2013 by Kevin Lewis, a UC San Diego sociologist, suggests that racial barriers to romance are not as insurmountable as we might suppose.  He did his research by analyzing the patterns of 126,134 OKCupid users in a two-and-a-half month period.  He found that, while people often still mainly reach out to others of their own racial background, they are, however, more likely to return a cross-race email than previous research would have led to us to expect.  And, once they have replied to a suitor from a different race, people are then themselves more likely to cross racial lines and initiate interracial contact in the future.  OkCupid also now has so many additional choices for sexual orientation, ranging from sapiosexual (someone who finds intelligence the most sexually attractive feature… guilty as charged) to homoflexible.  We’ve come such a long way… the rest is just gravy at this point.

4. There is more gender equality, especially with online dating.

While I am still a proponent of chivalry when it comes to opening doors and paying on a first date, I also strongly encourage women to reach out first online with a short and sweet message if someone strikes their fancy.

5. Dating can be fun!

I know it’s sometimes exhausting after a long day of work to motivate yourself to meet someone new, especially when you just want to be a couch (mashed?) potato.  But, it’s also exciting to think that someone you meet—maybe the next date—could alter the rest of your life in some way.  Maybe you’ll get butterflies, maybe you’ll learn a new recipe, or maybe you’ll simply hone your conversation skills.  Regardless of the outcome, take advantage of the fact that you get to meet new and interesting people.

I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday!  Happy dating!

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Ah, December… the time for lighting the menorah (thanks to Thanksgivukkah, that was in November as well), getting trampled at Best Buy and Target, finding the house with the gaudiest Christmas lights, and, of course, wondering whether you’re going to have a date for New Year’s Eve this year.

People ask me all the time, “Is there a best time of year to do online dating?” In short, the answer is no. I’d first say that the best time for you to do online dating is when you’re emotionally ready for it. Online dating does take work, so make sure you know what it entails. Online dating is not simply about writing a few lines as fast as you can and posting it to see who writes to you. It’s about being creative, proactive, and patient. Once you’ve crossed that emotional threshold and you’re ready to take the online dating plunge, there is one time of year that it may suit you well to log on: the week between Christmas and New Year’s. And then ride that wave all the way through Valentine’s Day.

Match.com’s relationship expert, Whitney Casey, when asked in December 2011 how the numbers stack up, said, “From December 26 to February 14 is our busiest season. New Year’s Eve is such a big deal because it’s a new beginning.” Plentyoffish.com also reported a 15% jump in signups, in addition to a 20% spike in activity from current users during that time period. Lastly, JDate.com’s Community Manager, Rachel, says the holidays are the perfect time to get online and get excited about meeting someone new. “This is definitely one of our busiest times of the year and that’s simply because the festive fun of the holiday season often reminds singles there is nothing better than being around those we love… including romantic relationships! Plus, we often see a big bump in membership numbers with so many people adding ‘find love’ to their New Year’s resolutions!”

As we all probably know, some of the top New Year’s resolutions out there are to work out and find love (in addition to saving money, spending more time with family, volunteering, staying organized, and reading more, to name a few). In order to find love, though, you have to do something about it, and that something, according to the statistics, is to look for love online. And when you do, make sure you’re putting your best foot forward with flattering, accurate pictures, a profile that truly represents you without sounding too generic (“I love to laugh and have fun” will sadly not make the cut), and a positive attitude about what the future might hold.

Maybe this year is the year to find love and maybe it’s not, but for what it’s worth, signing up with a brand spankin’ new profile on December 26th isn’t a bad idea. At least you know you’ll be in good company.

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