“Don’t text him back yet,” “Should we Netflix and Chill?” “We’ve hooked up three times, should I make things exclusive?” and “I’ll never find true love, every guy is a jerk.” Let’s face it:these are all phrases we’ve heard over and over again because we are the millennial generation (those born in the early 1980’s up until the early 2000’s) aka “the hook up generation.”
We are all afraid of commitment and only interested in hooking up. We do not go on dates and get to know each other anymore. We play texting games because we do not want to seem too interested. We do not want to get married and settle down. Love, so we may think, is not a thing in our generation anymore.
But is this actually true? Are we really the “hook up generation?”
The “hook up generation:” Many sexual partners, finding someone to pay your cab ride home from Frog (and bringing them with you), Tinder bios and playing the waiting game when texting back. Yes, the time game, you know what I’m talking about. It does not exist.
Contrary to popular belief, millennials are not the “hook up generation” that everyone believes us to be. According to recent studies, people born between the 1980’s and early 2000’s have fewer sexual partners than baby boomers and those in Generation X. Yes, that’s right. We are not the first generation to partake in hooking up and on average; we actually have fewer sexual partners than previous generations.
Apparently, we are also afraid of commitment and do not like the idea of serious long-term relationships and/or marriage. According to Pew Research Centre, this is false. Their study showed that 69% of millennials still want to get married. Yup. Millennials do want to get married! We are just taking longer to do so than previous generations.
Newsflash: We are not doomed.
You do not have to wait an hour to text back that guy or girl that you’re interested in because you do not want to seem too interested. And for the record, anyone that backs off because you enjoy texting them, is probably not worth your time.
You do not have to sleep with someone on the first date if you do not want to. You can go on dates and get to know each other first if that’s what you want (and yes, dates still exist).
If that guy or girl randomly ghosts you, it’s probably because they weren’t very interested in the first place. If the person you are interested in is interested in you, they will show it. Believe me, these people do exist. And you probably won’t find them at the bar.
And remember, we are all just university students entering the adult world. Dating and relationships will be confusing and messy at times. And, that’s okay. Trial and error is part of growing up and becoming an adult. We are not the “doomed” millennial generation that will play texting games forever and never find love.