“It’s easy to take off your clothes in a stranger’s bedroom surrounded by the darkness,”
“It’s easy to mask your insecurities with the temporary feeling that someone thinks you are special, that you are the only thing that matters—even if just for that moment.”
A “one-night stand” is often used when describing the sexual preferences of the current college generation. But how would you feel if I told you that you were wrong, if I told you that this generation isn’t looking for a one-night stand. College age students ultimately desire affection and romance. Yet, sometimes acquiring this affection and romance is difficult. Our generation is different than those before us. Our parents have told us from the beginning to be our own person, to be confident in whom we are, and to not settle for anything we aren’t sure about.
The current hookup culture is driven by our generations desire to feel loved, to feel special. With the arrival of apps such as Tinder and Hinge, casual sex has become much more readily available, but maybe the apps popularity stems from something other than casual sex. A very small portion of Tinder and Hinge users actually follow through with a casual sex meet up. Whether is be for a confidence boost after a hard break up, or just someone to swipe right and send you messages that makes you feel more confident, the uses of these dating apps often do not even include physical contact, never mind meaningless sex.
The hookup culture that older generations place so much pressure on is a myth. College aged students are not having more sex than they were thirty years. The difference is our desire to take risks, to live life without any regrets, and as our parents always told us, not to ever settle for something we aren’t willing to dedicate ourselves to one hundred percent. The easy way out is a noncommittal hookup. Yet, the definition of a hookup is often misconstrued. It could include making out at a party, or experimenting sexually without the title of a relationship, however people often assume when you hookup with someone that you had meaningless, emotionless sex.
Our society places such a strong focus on body image and we all experience it. Whether it be from the models on magazine covers, or even just another one of your peers, body image stress stems straight from jealousy, from the desire to be “better.“ The only issue with the college-aged culture is their overbearing insecurities, not who they decide to have sex with. No one should be uncomfortable wearing a bathing suit to a pool party, or wearing a sleeveless shirt because you know your muscles aren’t as big as the guy standing next to you. We all have something to contribute and strengths to be proud of. Whether it’s that you have a six-pack and can squat double your body weight, or that you excel at science and ace every test you take, or perhaps people you hardly know admire your personality and hard work. Every single person you meet is unique and shouldn’t be placed under the societal pressure to look perfect and never make mistakes.
The hookup culture that everyone talks about is not real. There’s no truth in saying that the majority of college students sleep around and have meaningless sex. However, there is truth is saying that the majority of college students come face to face with insecurities. But it’s important not to group these two together; just because most students that engage in meaningless sex suffer from insecurities does not also mean that everyone that faces insecurities also engages in meaningless sex.
Does exposing your body decrease the value of your worth? That’s something you have to answer on your own, something that you shouldn’t ever allow anyone else to answer for you.
