When thinking about Valentine’s Day and how this generation dates we get all types different opinions from friends, parents and even the news media. What we are finding today is that most traditional dating methods for our parents’ generation do not work for the millennial generation. What I read so far about my generation is that we are a bunch of hipster, tree-hugging pacifists who only want to do drugs and have hook-ups every weekend, but that is not the case. We want to be heard and we want people to love us for who we are, but it’s hard to find someone to love you when we plaster fake saturated pictures on Instagram and Facebook about how wonderful our lives on. The same goes with how we go about our lives communicating with others. This way it’s so hard to connect with people on a regular basis because we are consumed by our computers and phones. This is why my generation has so many confusing romances and I am here to help shed a light on how to date in this confusing worldwide web-world.
The one thing I find great about phones is how we can still keep in touch with our friends, family and many of our old pen pals, but the one thing that can cause problems in relationships or finding the right mate is the inability to communicate outside our social media. This why my generation has a hard time connecting with a potential partner. We get so consumed by what other people are doing with their lives that we just don’t take a chance to just turn off the phone and just listen to others. We are also now used to instant gratification in just seconds that it’s easier to fill the void of a potential partner with vulgar images and easy sites to find pleasure. What my generation wants is an easy connection to make with people that we don’t really have to try to make a foundation with a potential partner. That’s where we’re losing are our confidences in the dating world because it’s just easier to be on our phones and hide than to truly love who we are and make an effort to put ourselves out there. It also takes time to make a relationship work and if you are only going into the relationship for you to get something out of it you are not in the right mindset. I know because that’s all I wanted when it came to dating, I wanted some guy to love me and give me all my security through his love, but that’s not how our generation works anymore. We need to be more confident in who we are and not be so consumed with what we think we need to be. That’s why it’s easier to be online when it comes to dating and that’s why so many dating sites can put out goofy commercials on your tv. When it comes to dating most of us don’t have a clue how or what works and the ones who do still have yet to learn what a real relationship is like. So what’s it going to take to get a potential mate in this technology saturated world? Put down the phones and get out there.
What I’ve read so far from expert dating counselors is that the one thing that millenniums have a hard time doing is making foundations where you’re at right now. It’s so easy to get caught up in the world of Facebook and Instagram that we don’t have time to just sit and make connections with others. That it is why its hard for this generation to make connections because as I said before we want instant gratifications that please us and not help others. When looking for a mate you have to be very observant with the people who are around you because you never know who might perk your interest. I find that the best way in finding a mate is being friends with them first before evening jumping in a relationship. I think the millennial generation’s problem with dating is we don’t stay long enough to build a foundation with someone. We want it now and we want it to happen on our own terms. That’s why my generation is killing modern dating because we want that guy or girl to text us the day after we met them and sometimes that not possible. Instant gratification is killing the dating game because it is teaching that we need to rely more on what we can get right now instead of waiting for it to just slowly happen. What happens after we feel rejected is we start to lower are standards on dating. This has led to a lot things being handed to us through the internet that we have become cowards in the process on excelling into the digital world. I don’t know how many times I walked on campus and a guy is looking at a girl who he seems interested in, but won’t get up the courage to go and talk to her. Texting has caused little to no face to face communication that it’s just easier to break up on text than to do it face to face. It has become apparent to me on how my generation can act and I believe we can change it, but how? Put yourself out there.
When it comes to interacting with people it is actually so much fun to meet people at events and really talking to them in person. I don’t know how many times I went to an event on campus where I met the most interesting people and who knows maybe you might find the perfect mate, but you got to get out there and try because it’s not going to be handed to you. I know a lot of times Facebook will post events in your town that you can go and meet new people. With this generation, we need to be more outgoing when it comes to dating because hiding behind screen’s is not going to get you very far. So find things you are interested in and actually go outside your comfort zone and meet people. If there is an event near you for Valentine’s Day don’t be alone, get out there and meet new people. You never know what might be around the corner when you get out from behind your screens and explore the world out there. Don’t let romance be confusing just be you and find what makes you inspired. I hope this read will help you to get back out there and date, but also to find new things you can become passionate about this Valentine’s day season.
