I'm sick of people, especially people in our generation, lamenting the loss of traditional values and shaming people for hooking up instead of dating. Claiming that dating is the be-all-end-all, universally superior thing to do, and that hooking up is somehow lacking, or even morally wrong, is annoying at best, and ignorant and alienating at worst.

To say that dating is always the better (and often, morally superior) option is to make an inaccurate generalization and to invalidate the experience of anyone who doesn't agree. Why should anybody feel like shit for choosing not to date? Sure, dating might be what a lot of our parents did, but we're not them. Times have changed, values have changed. Marriage and parenthood aren't the ultimate goals of many in our generation, and the fast-paced, ambitious culture we live in isn't always conducive to taking time out to develop old-fashioned, deeply committed romantic relationships. Our world is completely different than the one our parents grew up in, so why shouldn't we act differently in it?

Of course, nobody should feel like shit for choosing to date, either. There are still plenty of reasons to do it. Getting to know another person on an intimate level, developing an emotional as well as physical connection, and knowing you always have someone to turn to who reciprocates your feelings are all great things that come out of it.

People are different, and what works for one person isn't guaranteed to work for everybody. Some people need the long-term emotional support and comforting stability of a relationship, while others feel suffocated by commitment and the emotional demands of dating someone. Some people need the flexibility and carefree nature of hooking up, while others are terrified by the prospect of leaving things open-ended. Neither option is objectively better than the other.

As I continue through my college experience, I think I might be one of those people who are better suited to dating than hooking up. But again, that's personal preference, not to be confused for a hard-and-fast rule. You don't have to agree with me. You can do whatever you want with other people—date, hook up, marry, befriend—that's your prerogative. But what isn't your prerogative is telling other people what they should be doing.

Ultimately, dating isn't any better than hooking up. And it's really none of our business what other people do, is it?