Lately, 'Netflix and Chill' has become an inescapable reality for today's generation. It grew with the wave of social media on today's youth; there is not a teen out there that is not an avid user of Vine, Instagram, Twitter or the like. The slang originated as a term used for, believe it or not, watching Netflix and spending time with your significant other. But over the years and through the progression of social media, it has become increasingly sexual in meaning.
As a young adult, reality has graced me with a few ideas on 'dating' in the 21st century. According to Wikipedia, 'Netflix and Chill' is defined as: a slang term [used as] an invitation to watch Netflix together as a euphemism for sex either between partners or casually as a 'booty call.'
Now, if you're anything like me, a conservative college student in a 3+ year long relationship, you'll find more than a few issues with this term and how it's consumed our generation and altered the concept of dating entirely.
Dating was once considered a relationship between two individuals that blossomed into a mutual feeling of love for one another and the desire to be together, physically and mentally. It once valued commitment and intellectual similarities that allowed the couple to share more than a visceral connection.
It has now morphed into a remote, obscure notion that a numerous amount of millennial's rarely encounter. From what I've seen, this generation is afraid of commitment; afraid to look for more in another person than they are willing to look for in themselves. They find happiness, acceptance, and confidence in the amount of partners they've had rather than in themselves. They don't want to commit to anything before they've been able to explore their options - don't get me wrong, it's a wonderful concept - but has anyone thought that they are simply worth more than that? More than a one-night stand, using Netflix as their aphrodisiac and pseudo-intimacy?
Communication, kind gestures, and getting to know each other are ideals that have been lost in the translation; physical commitment is the furthest that many individuals are willing to go. Being in a committed relationship seems to be a concept that many millennials have no desire to be a part of. They would rather spend their time casually hooking up as opposed to seeking out meaningful relationships with others.
Being a part of this generation has me wishing that we could go back to a much simpler time, where being in love was praised, people valued their self-worth more than a one-night stand, and hip-hop/R&B was about the beauty of romance and sex and not about #sidechicks and #fbg$.
'Netflix and Chill' was not meant to become so venereal; in my opinion, this generation needs to quite literally, chill.
