From dating apps becoming the norm to saying I’m in a “situationship” instead of a relationship, dating in this generation is more complicated than our parents’. I didn’t notice how different relationships and dating have become until I was having a conversation with my mom about this. Years ago, if a guy liked you, they would approach you in person and ask you on a date. Simple as that. While this still happens, a lot of times men just search for you via social media and hit you with the “Yo I think I saw you at this party we should definitely meet up sometime.”
And don’t get me started on dating apps. They’re all bad. Firstly, making a profile on a dating app is cringy. Secondly, most people who like your profile either aren’t your type or say they’re looking for something long-term but just want something casual or a one-night stand. I hate the idea of future me saying, “I met my husband on Hinge,” but when asking lots of my friends in relationships, they said they went on a Hinge date and have been inseparable ever since.Â
While not everyone uses dating apps, a lot of people find their partner via social media. By simply “sliding in their DMs” or liking their Instagram story, there are many ways to shoot your shot. While this may be less cringy than making a dating profile, it comes with its own risks like ghosting. Don’t know what ghosting is? Imagine you’ve been texting a guy for months, maybe you guys have met up a few times, you stay up on FaceTime every night, have amazing conversations and the chemistry is insane. Then boom, you’re left on delivered for hours and suddenly you never hear from them again. You’re left wondering what happened. Is it something you said? Did they lose interest? Are they not over their ex? Well, this is Gen Z dating in a nutshell. No seriously, we call this an example of a “situationship” and sometimes it ends in both people blocking each other.Â
You can even see the difference in the era of love songs. In the early 2000s you had iconic love songs like “She Will Be Loved” or “Somewhere Only We Know” just to name a few. These songs professed the lengths a guy would go to for the woman he loves. Now, a lot of love songs reflect heartbreak through cheating or seeing someone exclusively but not in a relationship way, as the other is afraid of commitment. “Casual” by Chappell Roan honestly describes this perfectly.
While this early 2000s love still exists, sometimes it seems like it’s diminishing, and some young adults tend to get turned off from the idea of love due to lack of trust after some bad experiences. Dating apps feel like you’re marketing yourself as a product online and sometimes you feel sad when you don’t get a certain amount of likes or swipes. It is so much better to know how a person truly is in person and if you haven’t had a lot of luck with dating apps, I understand how superficial it feels. Also, can we please stop saying the word “situationship”? Maybe block it from our vocabulary?
XOXO, a tired Gen Z-er