It seems like centuries ago when there was a time that people used to “court” their beaus with the permission of parents. People used to irritate their friends to hook them up with their friends. It was based on a network of connections of friends and acquaintances. On a date, it was the guy who always paid. Girls didn’t call boys, or even, made the first move on their own. It was solely the boy’s duty to chase the girl. Nor could the couple talk freely on mobile phones and text messages as we today. The girl and the boy would go with each of their group of friends, to meet outside. The date would be filled with extreme shyness when the couple would meet in their privacy.
However, today the rules of dating are less defined. People don’t go out to see their potential candidates anymore. Instead they “slide into DMs” of the person whom they like, or their dates include “Netflix and chill”. The dating youth has turned its head towards modern technology and the services it provides for “online dating” on different social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, etc. This trend of online dating also covers apps specifically made for online dating such as Tinder, Bumble, Grindr, etc. Moreover, the internet also provides us with matrimonial sites to find a suitable life partner. From a time where we weren’t supposed to talk with strangers to searching for potential candidates of a life partner and marriage online, we have taken a big leap of faith with the onset of technology. It also poses threats of false identity, catfishing, ghosting, etc.
“But with these newer concepts, it can be hard to actually connect with the real person on a date, rather than the version they put of themselves online,” wrote Tomi Delp, from Saint Louis University, on the pros and cons of traditional dating vs. online dating. She opined, “It can be hard to form meaningful connections because dating app users continue to swipe with expectations of something greater to come along. But it’s important to keep in mind that these profiles only serve as a highlight reel, not necessarily the most genuine, all-encompassing version of the person. With all the ambiguity surrounding modern dating, the priorities of such have shifted. It is definitely still possible to date “traditionally,” but not as common.”
Whether you date traditionally or online, this significant shift in the dating culture hasn’t lessened the value of love. Because love is love, no matter what and it doesn’t matter if you find the one through traditional or online dating.
Dibyasha Das