Is it any surprise that hook-up culture is so rampant at a college with a female population so much bigger than the male? CofC has a gender ratio of 37% male to 63% female. That's roughly two girls to every guy. No wonder, then, that our students have such a hard time finding a reliable mate, when every passing girl is an opportunity for an upgrade.
Perhaps it's a deeper commentary on the state of not only our schools, but our country as a whole. Hook-up culture is something that has become deeply ingrained in the way young people interact with one another, as both people and potential partners.
Beyond the social aspect, there is obviously the issue of the sexual. Sex is an act of intimacy, of trust. Or, that's what it should be. This culture has turned it into an endless pursuit of pleasure, with an adamant refusal to acknowledge any of the responsibility that inevitably comes with it. We've mastered the delicate art of building one-night bonds, and the even more delicate art of snapping them cleanly by morning.
There was an article once that said, "As our lives get longer, our relationships get shorter." The average life expectancy of an American adult is 27 years longer than our counterparts a hundred years ago. Back then, relationships were usually for life, since they matured faster and died younger. Today, the average relationship is only 2 years, and most couples blame social media for the split.
Divorce rates, too, are higher than they've ever been. It used to be that you could tell someone you're parents were divorced and they'd give you this sad, pitying look. Now, they barely look up from their phone as they mutter, "So what? Mine are too."
We, as a generation, lack trust.
CofC has that perfect mixture of a large female student body, a small campus, and access to the latest technology to make it into a breeding ground of broken hearts. While that may sound rather dramatic, in all seriousness the hook-up culture here has become a real problem. How can a girl trust a guy she likes if she doesn't know if he's getting some on the side?
This problem is a self-reliant beast, an Ouroboros eating its own tail, a pseudo-Pennywise without the 27-year constraint (*shudder*). Meaning, it won't stop unless we stop it. Maybe not with an actual metal pipe like in It, but perhaps with something just as ferocious.
