It seems like we've got it all. We've got texting for when you don't want to call, FaceTiming when you want to see someone face-to-face, endless possibilities of dates on dating apps, and Social Media to put our best selves forward. Yet, modern dating is rarely easy. Those who haven't found love yet know some of the struggles of our generation's dating age.
1. Social Media has ruined our expectations of romance.
We only see what people choose to post of their relationship, which is usually lots of roses and extravagant trips to exotic locations. Rarely do we see the darker or more boring side and of the couple that seems to be #RelationshipGoals on our feeds. So when we get into a relationship, we're expecting an unreal level of happiness that no one has, including those couples.
2. Dating apps can be the worst.
Okay, many people have found love with online dating. But with every couple who finds each other on a dating app and lives happily ever after, there's a hundred other people going on an awful date, being catfished, or meeting someone who has 3 other Tinder dates that night.
3. Everyone is really vague.
It's a rare thing to actually ask someone out on a "date" in the modern dating world. More likely, someone will ask you to "hang out" or "chill," leaving you wondering if they want to go on an actual date, hook-up at their apartment, or just be friends.
4. Texting makes things complicated.
In our modern age, we have an incredible addition to dating: texting. Now we can talk to our loved ones all the time, not just when we can call or see them face-to-face. No generation before ours had this ability to talk to another person all day long.
But, they also didn't have to deal with the more complicated part of texting in a relationship. There are texting rules that we feel we have to follow and games we feel we have to play in the early stages of a relationship, and can literally make or break a potential couple. If someone texts too much, it's bad.
If someone texts too little, they're flaky. What is the proper time to wait to text someone back? How many y's do we put after "hey"? Do we say "hey" at all? Texts are often interpreted incorrectly, which can cause some serious issues.
5. Mind games.
Whether you mean to or not, you'll be involved in some mind games when you start dating someone. It might be waiting 20 minutes to reply to a text or tweeting a really vague song lyric that you know you're directing at the other person. In our digital world, it's easier than ever to play mind games.
6. There are "endless" possibilities.
Dating apps give you endless possibilities that are literally at your fingertips. It's hard for people to settle down because they are constantly seeing what seems like endless possibilities of potential dates, whether it's on social media, or through online dating.
7. No one wants to define anything.
There are people looking for a real connection. But in an age of swiping from one person to the next, it's easy to be very noncommittal. A lot of the time, it seems like people just want hook-ups and no one wants a real relationship.
8. Finding conversation is difficult.
Because you're always texting, FaceTiming, or seeing each other's posts on Social Media, you always know what the other person is up to. This means it's hard to find things to tell each other that you haven't already talked about over text or haven't seen on their Instagram.
9. Ghosting.
Ah, ghosting, the fear of every modern dater. It's inevitable that at some point in your dating adventures, you'll be ghosted or will ghost someone else, and it's something that's become almost accepted in our culture.
10. You can end a relationship without feeling that face-to-face guilt.
You can send a nicely crafted lengthy text, if you're generous, or just stop talking to the other person, if you're more inclined to be a jerk about it. Breaking up with someone or just avoiding them has never been easier, or more careless.
