We’ve all become familiar with those Shakespearean themed stories in which the men would try to court their love interests. Well fast forward a few hundred years ago. The story is being completely rewritten. In this modern day and age, dating has become a thing of the past. Millennials have now introduced the boom of technology into this newfound “hookup culture.” There are no longer any labels. There are no longer picnics in the park or the classic movie date. People are no longer exclusive. Asking someone out used to be a big deal. It took courage and determination. Today’s generation finds it much easier to hang out in larger groups or simply slide into the infamous “DM.” Teens today describe dating as “doing the same things you would do in a relationship but not being exclusive.” Now that monogamy is no longer apart of our vocabulary, what else has changed?
Teendiaries.net has accurately stated how dating has changed from the Baby Boomers to Generation Z :
1950's- Relationships were all about "going steady." A night out with your significant other consisted of going to an ice cream parlor, drive-in movie, or even a record shop.
1960's- The highlight of dating was the actual date. Similar to today, girls spent hours getting ready for their special date. However, there were many dating behaviors that were considered etiquette for those days. Boys were expected to pay for all dates, and girls weren't allowed to kiss on the first date.
1970's- Romance was all about being young, wild, and free. Girls and guys would stay out all night at a disco club or at someone's house listening to music.
1980's- During the 80's, teens would date one person after going on only about two dates. While dating was becoming more informal, the guy would still call the girl on her home phone in order to talk and plan a date.
1990's- As the internet was becoming more popular, it quickly became a staple in teenage dating in the 90's. AIM was how guys and girls communicated with each other outside of school. Downloading music from the internet and making a CD was considered the sweetest gesture during this time. For dates, teens met up at the roller skating rink for dates or rented movies from Blockbuster to watch together.
2000's- Online dating became popular and with the help of social media, long distance relationships became a trend among teenagers. "Talking" also became the new word for dating even though it usually consists of more texting rather than face-to-face communication. New pet names also emerged during our current decade such as the infamous term, "bae."
The problem with these changes is that they lack the actual communication. Language can be lost in translation because people aren’t being seen face to face. Mankind has become lazier and has taken to the Internet to do the work for them. So I ask you my fellow Spartans, is dating really a thing of the past? Is chivalry really dead?
