Today is Valentine's Day! Or, as more than half the student population sees it, today is a single person's worst nightmare. Beware of walking by yourself or eating at a dining hall alone because everyone will be sure to notice that you're single. Avoid couples like the plague, they're surely pitying you. Post as many pictures as you can on social media of you with faux "valentines" such as your greasy slice of pizza or your poor cat that was just trying to take a nap before you scooped it up for an impromptu photo shoot. Make being single into some sad joke. Some of us will even go the route of hibernating until the day is over.
Enough, people. Go out and enjoy your day because it's the same as any other. No one cares that you're alone on Valentine's Day. If anyone says anything, that just makes them a jerk because, in fact, most people are single on Valentine's Day, especially college students. This brings me to the central point of this article. Why do we associate being single or not having a current hookup with unhappiness? This negative stereotype is everywhere.
It's pervasive on every social media platform and people have been using it as a somewhat salty joke for ages. "It's been three weeks since I last hooked up with someone" "I'm sad. I want a boyfriend" and "It's ok if we're single, we have alcohol" are common lamentations I hear every day. Every. Single. Day. Even as a joke, they still associate general unhappiness (in the forms of hating life, depression and alcoholism) with not having a significant other. Also, I'm sorry this is off-topic, but having someone else in your life won't magically erase all of your problems.
It's getting really old. Seeing someone that doesn't give a shit about their relationship status is so rare and refreshing. Their independent attitude draws others to them. They're enjoying life; they don't need anything or anyone else at this point in time. I'm not saying being in a relationship isn't great, I'm simply stating that more people need to realize that being single isn't a shameful label they need to get rid of.
It's an ugly mindset perpetuated as a joke in our society. It really does have a negative impact. Just because you're single shouldn't mean you're desperate to find somebody else, or it shouldn't mean you're automatically going down the cat lady route, or that your friends should assume you're getting dressed up or putting makeup on to impress anyone but yourself.
Some of us may want a relationship, some of us may be perfectly content being single. That shouldn't mean we should assume all singles are dying to lose the status.
