Why dating is a thing of the past

Former “A Different World” actors Dwayne and Whitley.

If you’re hoping to go on a nice romantic date, then you’re probably living in the wrong era. With the influence of social media and cellphones in the 21st century, the dating scene has almost disappeared.

Millennials have seemed to redefine the term dating as “talking” in 2018. Talking is a term used to describe two members of a potential relationship who communicate consistently but are not necessarily exclusive. It is also referred to as the stage between “just friends” and “dating.”

The whole point of dating someone is getting to know that person. Unfortunately, the talking stage in relationships has ruined the concept of going on first dates. A majority of the talking stage consists of texting, snapchatting and facetiming.

Social media has left teens and young adults unable to interact with one another face to face. Outside of the internet, they lack the confidence to approach the person they’re interested in. However, the fear of rejection is little to none when it comes to texting, direct messaging and emailing.

Online dating has further complicated the process of falling in love and has normalized the culture of “hooking up.” I believe the culture we live in has been influenced by the idea that dating is overrated. Many believe this due to the fact that individuals are receiving all of the benefits of being in a relationship while still classifying it as the talking stage. This can lead to confusion if boundaries aren’t set prior to engaging in relations.

Because millennials aren’t actually “dating,” we aren’t breaking up with each other either. Teens and young adults today are relying on a term called “ghosting” to end things. Ghosting is when you stop seeing, talking to and responding to someone you were recently involved with. This is the ultimate form of poor communication.

Dating as a millennial can be so screwed up. We’re a part of a generation that doesn’t value love more than sex so we rely on temporary fulfillment rather than a lifelong commitment. Showing any form of emotion is often referred to as being weak; therefor our generation is in a competition of who can care the least.