When thinking about Valentine’s Day, the first things that come to mind are couples and love. However, during this time, it’s easy to forget about the single people in the world, especially the single guys. To this end, here are a few pieces of advice if you find yourself without a girlfriend on Feb. 14. 

1. Acknowledge the women in your life

With so much focus on having a love life, our perceptions of women can get skewed. There are important women in our life other than potential love interests. In fact, the women who are often least acknowledged during this time of year are mothers, aunts, sisters, and grandmothers. If they don’t have a valentine, do your part and make them feel appreciated. This can range from a physical gift to a day out on the town (socially distanced, of course).

     2. Movies are not the move

Everyone knows that the movies, at least in a year without COVID-19, are packed with couples on and around Valentine’s Day. If you don’t want to feel left out, it’s likely best to stay home–the same movies exist on a variety of streaming platforms like Netflix, Hulu, HBO Max, etc. If you’re looking for more of a lively Valentine’s day but still want to avoid all the sappy couples that remind you of how lonely and worthless you are, visit a local sports bar. One example is Duffy’s. They are likely to have fewer couples than other restaurants and still allow you to have a good time due to the fast-paced atmosphere and good food. You could even bring some buddies along. 

    3. Be antisocial when it comes to social media

Any form of social media is a warzone for those not in a relationship–especially on Valentine’s Day. One couple here, another there. Unfortunately, this reality is inescapable. So, on Valentine’s Day, stay off of social media at all costs. If you can’t resist, do yourself a favor and DO NOT purposely look at your ex-girlfriends’ accounts. Nobody wants to know what your 10th grade girlfriend of two weeks is doing now. One more thing: no posting pictures of you looking sad with sappy quotations as a caption. Example: “To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.” Nobody is going to feel bad for you just because you plagiarized a cliché quotation. 

    4. CompuCupid is CompuStupid (sorry Mr. Hoy)

An annual staple of Valentine’s Day at Benjamin is CompuCupid, which supposedly provides you with your best romantic partners and can be purchased at the Bell Tower for $1 on various days. However, you might be matched with someone whom you have no interest in whatsoever. Don’t take this to heart; it seems to be quite random. In short, CompuCupid does not reflect who you are as a person and is not meant to be taken seriously.