Like the rest of the world, dating has also gone through many changes over the past few decades. If you ask your great-grandparents, grandparents, or even your parents, you can tell how big the differences were when it comes to dating, courtship, and what relationships mean compared to the present. Even their rules of meeting someone new and how you must treat them during the dating stage is way different when compared to now.
The concept of partnership or relationship has already been established from way back to the reputable biblical story of Adam and Eve. Over time, people discovered the essence of finding that ‘one’ person destined to be their lifetime soulmate. Somehow, people realized how incredible it would be to find that match and share your life with. Thus, the search begins through this thing called dating.
The World Of Dating
The dating game has constantly shifted on every generation. Before, people find their dates through arrangements done by their parents or an agreement between two different kingdoms to merge their power through arranged weddings of their sons and daughters. A few decades later, people were given more freedom when it comes to choosing their partners. However, their means of communication were limited, so they only get to date people from the same town.
Fast forward to today, dating has become more instant, faster, and quicker, especially when it comes to building and starting relationships. These major changes are influenced by several factors, such as the advancement of technology, dating apps, and the internet.
Take a better look at these four ways of how dating has changed through the years:
1. The Meaning Of Dating Has Evolved
If you ask your parents or grandparents about how they define dating, they might give you a different answer. For them, dating is when a man picks up a woman from her home and gives her a freshly-picked flower bouquet. Then, the man will be welcomed by the woman’s parents, and he’ll have to personally ask for their approval whether he can take the woman out or not. Next, the man will escort her to dinner or maybe to the movies. Finally, he’ll her off and walk her to the door while promising to come back in the morning.
Meanwhile, if you define dating today, it can mean a lot of things. For instance, it can be meeting each other at a bar, in school, at a park, take brunch at a café, or simply watch Netflix at home and chill. While all of these can still result in a well-spent quality time together, apparently, it’s less flattering and less romantic than those old yet golden days.
Moreover, the terms used revolving around dating have drastically changed, too. Before, here are common words you can hear when a man ask a woman out:
- Can I take you out to dinner?
- Can I ask your parents’ permission so I can take you out?
On the other hand, many dating terminologies are already invented and used by the younger generation today, which your parents would probably never understand. Some terminologies, such as the ones mentioned in this list https://eq.irisdating.com/5-gen-z-dating-terms-and-what-they-mean/, can be very confusing but are still widely used as of the moment.
2. Social Media Can Make Or Break Your Dates
Thanks to social media, you can now easily know a lot about a person just by checking their social media profile and scanning through their photos, posts, hobbies, and even their latest Instagram update. However, the more you know, the higher risk that you’ll be conceiving false assumptions about a person’s identity. You may then act as if you know everything about the person, hence you’ll have no other things to talk about.
If you go back to how things were decades ago, when a man and a woman agree on a date, they’ll only fully know about each other’s personality, likes, and dreams during their dinner date. They share each other’s stories, be in the moment, and have fun getting to know each other. Then, they’ll assess if the person sitting in front of them is their perfect match. Back then, it’s the goal of knowing someone personally that makes dating exciting.
Aside from that, the existence of social media may also result in complicated relationships. Nowadays, people are fond of flaunting their relationship status on social media or telling every detail of their dates on their posts. But then, when things get rough, and a couple has a big fight, they’ll be ranting about each other’s worst personalities online, making the situation much worst. Overall, social media can make or break your relationships, but that depends on how you use it.
3. Face-to-face Interactions Are Getting Lesser
Decades ago, people would have to travel through trains, boats, or horses just to spend a few hours with a person they’re dating. If they don’t see each other, they’ll have to exchange letters that usually take two-three months before reaching the recipient. Your parents probably may not have experienced that era, but still, their face-to-face interactions were more frequent since they didn’t have any high-tech phones and laptops back then.
Nowadays, people can easily communicate through texts, calls, and video chats. Thus, it’s not surprising if face-to-face interactions are getting lesser since technology has provided an alternative to help you communicate with your date even without seeing or meeting them personally.
4. It’s Normal To Hook Up On The First Date
As mentioned earlier, there were certain rules in the past regarding meeting or dating someone new. This may include not touching a woman’s waist or face until you’re officially a couple or not letting a guy see you in your nightgown unless he’s your husband. In some cases, the only time you can have close physical contact with your partner is when you’re officially married to each other.
Nowadays, it’s socially acceptable to engage in intense physical contact and hookups with the person even during your first date. Gone are the days where men had to ask for a woman’s hand in marriage before they get a chance to hold her hand, kiss, and eventually make love. Of course, today’s generation still sees themselves walking down the aisle someday, but only in the later years of their life because they’re not in a rush.
Wrap up
Looking back at how much dating has changed over the years, some of you may think how amazing it would have been if you were born and fell in love during those golden ages. But even if the art of courtship and romance etiquette may have slowly died and changed in the present, that doesn’t mean you’ll never find that authentic love everyone is looking for. No matter how often the world of dating will evolve, its essence of finding true love will always be there.