When we started writing this article, we had a 100% considered and thought-out plan of it. However, I wondered if trends were actually a thing back in a day. Of course, massive social tendencies and unwritten rules of behavior have always existed, as well as ubiquitous tendencies in art and culture. However, the term itself has become widespread not so long ago – less than 50 years, and it was used mostly in terms of economics. Therefore, the usage of this terminology is quite a fresh trend (eh, can you notice the irony?).
But let’s get back to the recent dating trends. Last twenty to thirty years have changed a lot. The most obvious reason for those drastic changes is the appearance and popularization of the Internet. Clearly, nobody can nowadays image life without the World Wide Web. Westerners and Asian peoples, in particular, have become somewhat addicted to the benefits of online communication. Nonetheless, we are here not to judge people for their obsessions but to explain to you how the dating scene has changed in recent years. This information will be useful to both millennials and 40-something men and women. So, let’s look at those trends and try not to judge the book by its cover.
Internet acquaintances. In the early 90s, online dating was quite a novelty and people didn’t feel comfortable about it. Why would you ever believe that your interlocutor is real and authentic if there’s no possibility to actually see each other in the flesh? Much has changed since that time, and in recent years people have become more willing to meet their significant others on the Internet. In fact, in 2016, a great share of couples in the USA was brought together by dating applications and services. In the end, it’s not that bad that if people have found a radically new way to meet each other and come together (even though this method might seem a bit unreliable at some point).
Personal information’s accessibility. With the appearance of the Internet and social networks as Facebook and Twitter, in particular, it has become much harder to protect your personal information. You see, when you post something, you make it automatically accessible for your friends and strangers. It means that if someone would want to literally google you out, he or she would have no troubles with that (in case if you leave your personal profiles universally accessible). But there’s also a bright side: You can easily find information about your potential partner and, therefore, make up your mind about the perspectives for your partnership. You know how they say, “Information is the most powerful weapon of all.”
Romance is dead. Well, it isn’t dead in its entirety. Nevertheless, the necessity of romantic gestures has been revalued and, as a result, devaluated. You might admit that pop-culture dictated that romantic relationships do not exist without candlelit dinners, huge bouquets, romantic getaways, and other stereotypical acts of affection. The thing is, all these beautiful actions find its place on the pages of cheesy novels and in romantic comedies, while real-life occasion request less than nothing in terms of demonstration of your affections. Funny how some couples believe it’s enough to edit their relationship status on their Facebook profiles to build strong and healthy relationships.
The fear of commitment. You shouldn’t think that we are trying to agitate you to get committed right after you fall for somebody. Oh Lord, no! Commitment, marriage, living together, and other important steps should be treated with patience and thoughtfulness, obviously. However, the modern community does its best to hide the omnipresent fear of commitment under the disguise of social rebellion. Adolescents and young adults often admit that marriage is just another institution created to enslave people and force them to live in the conditions they don’t choose. And while some of those ‘revolutionists’ actually think so, others use this explanation to hide their relentless fear of commitment.
Remarkable mobility. Let’s get back to what the Internet has come along with. Imagine that a young man from Great Britain decides to send his beloved woman a heartwarming letter in a beautiful envelope. And she lives in France. And it’s 1852. She reads this exceedingly important letter in a month or two when her potential husband has already been brutally murdered by tuberculosis. It won’t happen to you in 2017. Instant messages are delivered right after you hit ‘SEND’ button and – voila! – your love interest is now aware of your feelings. However, mobility has its drawbacks. People often start relationships too fast, and instead of learning each other they just wear rose-tinted glasses and enjoy the moment. You decide whether it’s good or bad but knowing your life partner is necessary.
Emancipation. Hey, you! Yes, you, the ladies’ man that managed to pick up five chicks last week! Your time has come to change your vectors. The 21st century is indeed the most fruitful époque in terms of human rights, especially if it comes to women. Girls are no longer marriage material only. Fortunately, female rights are now equal to men’s rights (in the Western world, at least). It has drastically changed the way girls see dating and which roles they prefer to play. Without doubts, it makes wooing much more time-consuming. But it also means that you get an educated, self-confident, and reliable life partner instead of a gold-digger or a girl forced to spend her time with you because your families decided so. Isn’t that beautiful?
New forms of partnerships. It wouldn’t be right to say that polyamorous relationships are a novelty. No, this concept has existed alongside standard monogamous partnerships ever since the beginning. However, the modern era brought responsible non-monogamy to the surface, normalized it, and even gave it a fresh touch. In the end, you can design your intimate relationships in the way want with the consent of all partners. Some old-fashioned people might say that it’s not normal but that’s just another opinion (so as yours).