With the millennial generation comes a new pattern of dating and, like many millennial concepts, it is one that is confusing as *insert choice word here*. I will be the first to admit that I am a proud millennial but, there is a new trend in the dating world that has never been super clear. As someone who is eternally single, I have watched my fair share of rom-coms and witnessed enough real life relationships (via my friends), to somewhat decipher what seems like "The Da Vinci Code" of the romantic world and as a self proclaimed expert, here is what I found:
1. Talking
Defined by Urban dictionary as, “When two people like each other and are getting to know each other better, but are still single and not 'dating' yet.”
This stage of a relationship involves a lot of technology based communication. In this stage it may not be a 100 percent clear what your guy's’ intentions are, but you know you’re having fun with what is going on in the moment. This is where people begin to feel out each other's personalities and see whether or not things will work out, and if things aren’t feeling right then, on to the next one.
2. Dating
If things go well for you, then you can make your way on down to the dating stage. The most common definition of dating that I have found across the board is when two people publicly go on dates and show that they are somewhat romantically involved with each other. In this stage, you most often see random acts of affection for each other like random gifts, good morning/goodnight texts and someone paying for someone else’s dinner. This is all in an attempt to form a deeper or more meaningful connection with someone that you already somewhat had feelings for in the first place.
3. The Title
This is it, the big moment. You went through the “talking” and “dating” phase all for it to lead up to the moment when you guys make it an official, like Facebook official, relationship. This is where you have learned that you do indeed really like and care about this person and that you want to have them in your life. In this stage, you begin to find that you are comfortable with each other and you have accepted that person for who they are. Accepted their quirks along with their flaws yet still see the beauty in that person. This is where two people begin to fall in love, which I know is a scary concept for some people.
I find that the world of romance is ever-changing and these definitions may not be the same forever, but I hope this information can help you distinguish the trend in millennial dating. Whatever phase you seem to fit into at this point in your life, just remember that your happiness is the only thing that matters.
