As a girl starting my journey into my twenty's, it is more than apparent that I am stuck in the generation that is widely known for partaking in the "hook up culture." By "hook up" culture I mean it quite literally. People my age, no matter their sexual orientation, feel inclined to engage in casual relationships with casual partners. The idea of having a monogamous relationship is almost completely foreign to my peers, and those who actually are in a monogamous relationship often face judgment from their friends and are often called "whipped" or are told that they are wasting their young years by being committed to one person. In my opinion, people who criticize people in monogamous relationships are brainwashed by this hook up culture that we are all too familiar with. The idea of casual relationships and partners is enforced way too much, and it is just getting old in my opinion.
What happened to the days when people would go out on real dates and girls would get picked up by boys who would come to the front door and politely introduce themselves to the females' parents? Or when dates were really dates, and not just "Netflix and chill?" Or how about when two individuals would talk on the phone every day, hang out together, and actually have the courage to call it dating? It is so sad that this appears to be a foreign concept today. With the evolution of technology and the uprising of social media, today's dating standards have gone down significantly. We just simply expect less from our significant others, to the point where we are even afraid to commit and say that we have a significant other. In today's world, if you manage to go out on a date, you get a text saying, "Here," rather than a ringing doorbell and polite walk to the car with your date. Instead of going out for dinner and a movie, today's dates consist of laying in bed watching Netflix and then going home. We live in a time where the 3am text saying, "You up, lol," is more common than being called on the phone and asked out on a real date. Our standards have to go up, and we have to change our dating culture.
In my opinion, we need to have more experiences rather than text messages; and we need to make deeper connections with others beyond the phone screen in order to created healthier and longer lasting relationships. We need to go back to the times where we dedicate ourselves to one person, and only that person, forming a deep and special bond. We dedicate ourselves to school, athletics, and other activities, why shouldn't we also exert energy towards forming relationships and making our way towards forever? If we get the courage to commit, we can really find out if relationships are worthy of lasting. It's time to stop being afraid of commitment and to start embracing relationships.
