The question of what women want may have no easy answer, but a professional dating coach claims to know exactly what they don’t want.
A video gamer does not qualify as an ideal romantic prospect, according to Blaine Anderson, a former travel industry worker who built a successful matchmaking business.
She also revealed activities single men should consider to boost their chances of finding love, making her advice worth a closer look.
Highlights
- Dating coach Blaine Anderson claims video games could hurt single men’s dating prospects.
- She recommends active hobbies and volunteering as hobbies instead.
- However, a 2025 report found that women make up 48% of gamers worldwide, challenging her stance.
Dating coach’s surprising take on video games should have single men rethinking how they spend their free time
1.7 to 1.8 million men play video games worldwide, according to January 2026 statistics.
While it is unclear what percentage of these men are single and active in the dating world, Anderson believes nothing good can come of the hobby for them.
“Sorry, but your future wife just isn’t playing Call of Duty,” she said in a June 4 Instagram video.
She also listed other technology-related interests that she claimed women find off-putting.
These included spending excessive time watching Netflix or gambling on sports.
Then came golf, which she ranked slightly better than all of the above but still not very feasible for single men.
“Golf is a better hobby for married men than single men,” she explained.
Commentators, however, remained fixated on weighing the accuracy of her video game advice.
Many of Anderson’s followers agreed, pointing out that several women had made it clear how annoyed they get by this particular hobby.
“My ex-wife once came home to me playing video games and told me she’d rather I was a smoker,” one man wrote.
“My girl called me a man-child,” added another.
But the gaming community is hardly a male-only space, with women making up nearly half of its player base
A 2025 report by the Entertainment Software Association claimed that 48 percent of gamers worldwide were women.
The data was compiled in partnership with trade associations across six continents, including UKIE, Video Games Europe and the International Games and Entertainment Association (IGEA) in Australia and New Zealand.
Last year was the second time the report was published, and it included findings from a survey of 24,216 active weekly players aged 16 or older across 21 countries.
Looking more closely at the global gender ratio of players, ESA President Stanley Pierre-Louis told GamesIndustry that “there are more women players than men players in 10 out of the 21 countries.”
Two of these countries included Brazil, where women made up 57 percent of total gamers, and South Africa, where they dominated with 58 percent.
Two more countries had a 50/50 split, according to Pierre-Louis.
“The gap isn’t as wide as people would suspect,” he added.
Regardless, Anderson said women prefer more sociable men when it comes to dating
Women like men who are out and about in the world over those who spend hours in front of a screen.
She advised that active pursuits such as running, racket sports and more can be great hobbies for single men to try.
“[They] all attract attractive women,” she said.
Outside of physical activities, Anderson explained that volunteering at a local animal shelter, food bank or school can also be a great way to meet someone with similar values and life goals.
One also gets to make the world a better place through these activities, she asserted.
Some men rejected the advice, saying love should not require people to change who they are
“All I see is another ignorant clown running their mouth,” one person said about Anderson.
“Sounds like an F-tier opinion,” added another.
“Subjective BS,” remarked a third, while a fourth noted, “The best hobby for men is whichever they like. I have several.”
“Stay away from women who want to change you,” a fifth sternly counseled.
Many also referenced the study suggesting women game as much as men.
“Find a girl who loves to Pokémon hunt,” one person said.
“My wife should be waiting for me to return home so we can play together,” another opined.
"Now even our hobbies are ranked," a social media user sighed
