It’s OK if the local ladies and gents aren’t quite to your liking. It's OK if you don’t fancy getting drunk and using your cheesiest chat up lines. It's OK because luckily we live in a world where clubs, pubs and bars are now not the only place we can meet people.

Welcome to the world of 21st century dating - it's a scary, yet occasionally life-changing place.

Here are six different ways of getting a date, and how we plan on spending the next few nights...

Spotify

Recently Spotify has paired up with two dating services, to combine some people’s favourite things AKA music and love. The apps are called Tastebuds and Fellody, and they allow people to use their music tastes as a way of getting to know people and chatting. If music be the food of love, play on... or something.

White Elephant Party

A white elephant party is a party that is traditionally used as a way of getting rid of the presents you don’t want, but a new take on it means instead of bringing old gifts, everyone invited has to bring one single person instead. By fun, we mean fist-chewingly cringey... but we're British. That's what we do.

Grindr

This is one for the gay community - though the makers have since launched Blendr, the straight alternative. It’s an 'interesting' app that allows you to find other gay, single men that are in close proximity to you. The interface displays a grid of pictures of men, arranged from nearest to farthest away - perfect for anyone who wants to meet someone but who is also quite lazy. Some people find it creepy, others love it. We're on the fence...

Scientific Match

Whilst many dating agencies claim to pair you up with your 'scientific match', this one takes it to a whole new level. Costing $2000 for a lifetime's membership, their lab actually analyses your DNA and matches you with someone who you'll (hopefully) have a better chance of being compatible with. According to Scientific Match, benefits can include a greater chance of a more satisfying sex life, higher rates of fertility and - fingers crossed - more chance of having 100% healthy kids.

Darwin Dating

We're relatively confident that one of the world's most influential scientists would be spinning in his grave if he knew his name had been lent to this latest online dating trend. Darwin Dating has just one, strict rule - NO UGLY PEOPLE. That's right, you can only sign up for a profile if you are one of life's beautiful people. Not sure if you're attractive or not? Luckily for you they have a 'Chimp Calculator' that tests your unattractiveness level. Well that's nice...

Ashley Madison Agency

As depressing as Darwin Dating was, this takes things to a whole new level. Dedicated to finding 'arrangements' for married people, the site boasts a soul-destroying 4.2 million members. They're not backwards about coming forwards, either - their tagline is 'Life is too short. Have an affair!'. We're pretty sure a part of us just died. Only THIS can cheer us up.

If you're a little more old-fashioned in your dating methods we've got the biggest, baddest and best list of chat up lines on the web - guaranteed to work every time*.

*Lie

Tags: Student sex