Dating. I don't get it.

Yes, I understand the concept of it....I think. Yes, I have been on dates, but dating does not always mean dates. I guess what I don't understand is what classifies someone as dating these days. Everyone is always "talking." What the hell does that even mean?! Why can't we just say that we are with that person? These days, it seems that people just "talk" and then that's it, the end.

Maybe I was spoiled by all the movies I watched as a kid that gave me hope for what adulthood would bring, but obviously, I was clearly wrong. Guys do not take you one dates anymore. There is no fun, cute romantic dates where you actually do things. The first date is usually dinner because no one wants to actually invest the time in doing an activity with someone else. You can say I am wrong, and no doubt that every guy is different but more than likely, a guy tries to keep the first date "simple."

It seems that the only time I see people go on fun romantic dates is after they have been together for a while. Another time is if they are on a TV show and everything is paid for by other people, and this whole idea of a romantic date is to just get good reviews. Don't get me wrong, I love going out to dinner as much as the next person, it's a great way to have conversation with someone. I'm not saying that it has to be 50 first dates every time, but by making the first date different and fun, it shows that someone really wants to put effort in knowing the other person.

Back to this whole idea of "talking." What is it, really? To me, it is just something people can use so they don't have to be tied down to one person too soon. It allows the excuse of "well, we are only talking," which means they don't have to be exclusive to only one person, they can talk to whomever they want. Is this always the case? No. But talking on the surface is just something people have come up with so that there is more time before a commitment is made. Is there really a need for that? Why not just go for it, and really just date someone?

The whole purpose of dating someone is so that you can get to know them. When you are dating them, you typically are exclusive and don't need to worry about them being entertained by others on the side. But no. Now-a-days we have the pre-screening process of talking and social media stalking where we get to know someone before we make the decision of if we want to date them. Why? It takes the fun of learning about a person and learning how to deal with the differences that you share as a couple.

Maybe in a few years the "old way" of dating will be back in style, and hooking up with people and just not really being committed to someone will fade away.