There are many different types of relationships in the millennial age, no matter people's sex, gender, ethnicity, race, etc., human beings thrive off of love. Love has no real definition, it means something different to everyone, but the idea is relatively the same for most people.
Loving someone is when you genuinely appreciate them as a person, physically, emotionally, mentally and the little things that make them who they are. You wouldn't change anything about them and accept and love them for who they really are. They're perfect in your eyes.
Love is different for everyone, but it can be confused with lust at times, but it is more related to sexual and physical attraction. Being in lust and being in love might seem completely different, but take a minute and think about it: what's so different about it?
I believe that many people think they're in love but just desire the person physically, less so emotionally. One of my favorite songs states: "Am I in love with you, or am I in love with the feeling?" and it speaks the truth. The mind plays tricks, it can make you believe you love someone from having a sexual relationship, which is why the "hook up" and "friends with benefits" culture is so messed up. Sex does not equal love, but the connection people make with such intimacy can make them or at least one of them believe so. This doesn't mean every one night stand will have you falling in misguided love (lust), it depends on each person. Guys tend to think that girls will fall in love with them if they continue being friends with benefits or a similar relationship where consistent sex is apparent. This can be true regardless of gender, but it's not that simple. Humans are not a simple species.
I don't think I've experienced being in love because I have nothing to compare it to. I've definitely been in lust, and I'm okay with that. I'm still so young and I don't think I'm emotionally ready for that kind of love yet. I have enough love between family and friends to suffice for a lifetime, of course, but a significant other will come around when the time comes.
Social media affects this generation and it's perceptions of love and lust greatly, with "man crush Monday" and "woman crush Wednesday" posted all over Instagram and couples parading how much they love each other on Twitter. Personally, I wish I could not be so immersed in my social media, but it's really not that easy. We all compare ourselves to each other and want people to know we are doing well and are happy. It's human nature, something other generations have done as well, just in different forms. These aspects of relationships can also be related to another one you may be familiar with.
There is love and lust, but there is the idea of liking someone. This is similar to lust since it can be confused with love. Liking the idea of someone is when you think you know the person but you really don't. You have a set description in your head of who this person really is but in reality you have no idea. This person's really awful but they say or do one nice thing and they're the best person in the world. They give you the attention you want, even a little, so you go along with it because you want it or maybe because you don't want to be alone. There's absolutely nothing wrong with wanting attention, but it can end up hurting you more in the end. They could be using you or leading you on, but you're so blinded by who you think they are that you have no idea until they're gone, until their real colors show. You may want to change things about them to fit your description of the perfect person and perfect relationship. You are never truly satisfied with what the person gives you because it's not what you deserve.
No matter how you see your relationships, the ones that are most important are the ones that make you happy. That's all that matters.
