The dating landscape has definitely changed over the past few decades. The time of formal dating is gone and casual hookups are here to stay, or not. While some people still manage to find a long term significant other, others are let waiting aimlessly to find their better half. We have somehow managed to stray away from organized dating to a disorganized mess. Although some may disagree, others may not. To better understand, a history lesson may be in order.
Jumping back almost a hundred years, the idea of formal dating was common. Dates were held in the house surrounded by the family or a chaperone where socialization was under the watchful eye of the elected chaperone or chaperones. There were no cars like there are in this current day so dates were located in a certain area of the home and the young adults dating had few choices besides being home.
Jump forward twenty years and the idea of informal dating was embraced. Dates were held at the movies or milk bars, and the more dates you had the popular you were. Marriage was the number was priority and if was deemed that who you date is who you marry. Premarital sex was frowned upon during this time. With an increase in cars and a slight shift in the idea of dating, dates moved away from the family and more towards friends going together.
The swingin' 60s, a time of hippies, tree huggers, and the early start to feminism. In prior decades, marriage was seen as the number one priority, but with women pushing the boundaries and fighting for education and employment, marriage was placed on the backburner. Around this time, birth control pills hit the market and the idea of premarital sex became more liberal.
During the time of disco balls and perms, casual dating became more of the norm. Gone were the times of wooing a girl with flowers and an elaborate dinner, we've reached a time where coffee dates and meeting up for drinks took the prize. Dating was no longer solely kept to marriage or to whom you are to marry but rather to who who may decide to eventually possibly marry. People of all ages started dating, creating a spike in divorce rates.
Now in current day, a digital age, people are using dating sites and phone apps to meet someone they assume is compatible with them. There is no more wooing or chaperoned dates. Communication has moved from talking face to face to phone calls to sending text message saying "here" while you wait outside in the care and saying hello to the parents.We have become so focused on how many likes we can get on our pictures and posts that it's now considered a form a flirting.
Dates have turned aways from those that involved planning and dinner to Netflix and chill. We have become so comfortable in our own little worlds that we refuse to leave them. The term dating is rarely used. We are now "having a thing with someone" or "kind of dating" but no real dating is going on. We are at the point in our lives where we do not want a committed relationship but we do not want to be alone either. We like to ignore what is right in front of us.
We are the reason why we no longer enjoy dates. If you go on a date to a movie and dinner you are considered "old-fashioned". Let's change that. Dates should come back in fashion. Why should we skip on the easy part of life. Dates are where you truly get to know someone on a personal level. In my personal opinion, we should get back to the days where we dressed up for a date and got giddy over spending a few hours with someone that we truly are about. Lets put away the cell phones, shut off the GPS, and drive until we can't drive no more. Dating isn't what it used to be but we can change that.
Let's go on adventures and remember our manners. Hold the door open for someone else, say please and thank you, and most importantly, have fun. Forget one night stands and meaningless hookups and move onto the adult world were you look to find the one person you want to spend the rest of you life with. Maybe that's just me being old fashioned.
