Remember when you had to go to a bar and pick up someone in order to get laid? According to a new mobile dating survey conducted by Intelitech Inc, the creators of PhoneShag, 70.4-percent surveyed have known someone that took online interaction offline and met their date in person. How many of these people actually fucked, they didn’t say.

But the survey also found that online socializing may make it easier for singles to express themselves sexually. Nearly 3 out of 4 (71.5-percent) respondents said that they flirt more often using online dating or social networking sites than they flirt when face-to-face.

The point is, while the bar scene may be fun, is it as effective getting you laid these days as online socializing?

I think two of the most difficult obstacles of getting laid at a bar are fear of rejection and lack of selection.

Fear of Rejection

Bar: For men, it’s not often you find a hot woman standing alone. She’s usually standing with her friends, which means you need to walk up to the group and basically audition for all of them. More often than not, women are at the bar with their friends to socialize with each other, not with wolves like you. So you get shot down by all of them, not just the person you approached. It becomes humiliating.

For women, it’s equally difficult. You don’t want to be perceived as a slut, so you stay reserved and hold back. There are things you want to do, things you want to say, but you also fear the entire bar surrounding you because you now look like everyone’s sure thing.

Online: There’s nobody in between you and the person you want to get to know. And guess what? They’re online for the exact same reason you are. So if they’re interested in you, they’ll let you know. And there’s no reason to hold back. You’re on a fucking computer, for god sake. If you suddenly decide you’ve made a big mistake, you’re not trapped in a corner of the bar with someone who won’t take “no” for an answer at this point… You’re online and you can eliminate that creep with one click of the mouse.

Lack of Selection

Bar: Guys, how many times have you gone to a bar and realized you were at a sausage fest? And the only two girls in the entire place were already surrounded by vulchers? Ladies, how many times have you gone to a bar and realized you were at a cheese ball convention? And all you heard all night long were dumbass lines like “Great legs, what time to they open?”

In addition, you know nothing about the person you approach at the bar other than what they look like. Are they divorced with children? You’re a white guy and she’s only into black guys. Or maybe he’s a chubby chaser and you’re just too damn skinny.

Online: The selection can sometimes be endless. You get photos, information about the person, their likes and dislikes, who they’re looking for and what they’re into. Granted, people can lie about their profile, but I’d say most of the time when it comes to a person’s preferences, they’re going to tell you exactly what they want and what they don’t want.

Bars are fun, especially if you like rejection and spotty selection. Online is the new Studio 54; plenty of decadence and bold interaction without the police raids. If you’re not already socializing online, I suggest you get going now and increase your action offline.