No longer can I walk past a girl in a Blockbuster, give her a wink or a corner smile and get her attention. Nor can I call her on the phone because we’ll end up having a conversation and maybe even hear each other laugh. Sounds...amazing actually.

I guess I’m trying to say that things are different now. The evolution of technology has forced flirting to adapt. In some ways, for the better. In others, eh, not so much.

What used to be random run-ins and casual encounters are now Instagram tags and Snapchat selfies. I’m not opposed to either. I actually think they’re fun. Feel free to wince if you hate both social outlets. It really depends on how much you rely on digital flirtation methods.

But I think there needs to be a balance of old school and new school interaction.

Here are some examples of what I consider old school flirting:

1. Passing notes

“Will you go out with me? Yes. No. Maybe. Ask again.”

Why can’t I do this anymore? I keep enough useless romantic information in my iPhone notes. I might as well put it on a physical piece of paper and send it to her.

2. Mixtape or CD

If someone said “Spotify” in the early 2000s, they would have been deported to the moon because the word sounded too alieny.

Sixteen years ago, I was the master of burning CDs. All the music illegally downloaded from Limewire. Just ask my wheezing/dead laptop if you want proof. Creating the perfectly burned CD was a science. I knew if I made it just right, it would be in her car for months. Everytime she put it on, she’d think of how much she liked me. Or at least how much she liked No Scrubs by TLC.

3. Call

People used to chew bubble gum, wrap their finger around a wired house phone, twirl their hair and titter via landline. At least I see it everytime I watch Grease or Napoleon Dynamite. Those wall phones still come in handy during a storm if there’s a power outage. I think we should bring them back just in case we need to flirt in severe weather. Global warming is a fact, people.

And then there’s the new school of flirting:

1. Instagram

I’ll tag her in something cute and clever. Something that will keep her cheery at work. Something like @TheFatJewish on Instagram talking about how he would eat a puppy if it were on a bacon-drizzled pizza. Aw, cute.

2. Texting

This includes emojis, which can be strong allies in the game of flirting. There are apparently rules for texting the girl that you like, which I’ve never followed. Maybe that’s why I’m currently single.

3. GIFs

I’ve never met a GIF I didn’t like. They tell it like it is. Or at least caption it like it is.

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Here’s what I’m gonna do. You can follow my lead or not, but I want to bring back the old school flirting. I’m keeping the new school stuff too though. I can vibe with emojis, GIFs and puppy pizzas. But there’s a certain charm in passing notes or hearing your crush giggle over the phone. It’s a tad bit better than always reading “lol” or “haha.” Or “jaja” if you’re stuck in a Spanish keyboard.

If all else fails, I’ll ask her to Blockbuster (which is now a Chipotle) and chill.