Modern day romance is complicated. The internet has taken over the simplicity of dating. Most people meet online before they meet in person. Before tinder and snapchat, people were courting and asking for permission to take their significant other out on a date. Now everyone just wants to text on the phone. People cannot even carry a conversation in person. Generation Z, 1995-2010, was not alive during the courtship era, so all they know is dating in the 21st century. The only reason they know what dating used to be like is romance movies. Now after recent films and tv shows Generation Z is ready to fall in love.
Currently, romance movies have been all anyone can talk about, primarily on Netflix. This previous summer Netflix released a couple of romance movies that were basic. The first of many was The Kissing Booth. The film was about an adolescent girl who falls for her best friend's brother, how classic. The best friend eventually finds out and is very upset; they fight then makeup, also very cliche. Regardless teenagers and young adults loved it. The movie was talked about all over social media from the day it was released. Beth Reekles, the author, says that "I just really wanted to read a regular high school romance, and when I couldn't find that, I wrote my own." This movie was written by a teenager for teenagers and young adults. Generation Z fawned over the idea of falling in love with the bad boy that you've known forever. This is because they are done with the unrealistic expectations that social media puts on dating. All you see on Instagram and Twitter is relationship goals and photos of couples that look too perfect. The kissing booth had an ordinary looking cast and a story of forbidden love. That is ideal for Generation Z because they are not looking for the stereotypical jock and cheerleader romance. They want realism.
Another excellent example of a Netflix original that was extremely well received was, To All The Boys I've Loved Before. The film was about a teenager, Lara Jean, who wrote a series of five letters to all the boys she has ever fallen in love with. Once the letters are mailed out, she is forced to confront three out of the five. She ends up fake dating of the boys and eventually they fall in love, for real. Throughout the movie, the main character, Peter Kavinsky, serves the bare minimum to satisfy the relationship but Generation Z loved it. He composed short letters for her before class, bought her favorite snacks, and posted pictures of them together. None of these things were out of the ordinary or over the top displays of affection. Nevertheless, this movie has teenage girls falling in love with Peter Kavinsky. Generation Z does not desire a knight in shining armor they just want a nice guy who will truly love them.
They also differ from previous generations because they are more accepting in dating and open to the idea of dating outside of their race and/or gender. Young adults are very outgoing about how they feel romantically and sexually. They are defying stereotypical sex culture and not following the footsteps of previous generations. Studies show that Generation Z delays sex, marriage and falling in love. It also shows that they represent the future great leaders of the world. Through all this pressure to save the world, they have neglected for a while to live a stereotypical teenage life. Now it is prevalent that they are ready to simply fall in love. As a member of this generation, I understand the pressure put on us to make a change. The genuine change we need is love.
