Is It Just Me Or Is Everyone Questioning Gen Z’s Dating Habits?
When it comes to love and romance, I’m old school. I want my future husband (yes, I’m manifesting) to court me and woo me and get my attention by asking me out on a proper date. And I’m not just talking about dinner. I like activities and I like to see planning. Really, I just want to see effort. But this new generation is different, and let me tell you, we are not the same.
For Gen Z, I believe courting is rare. In fact, I’m not sure they know what it really means — and I get it. They’ve never experienced the original text message — y'know, passing along handwritten messages folded into origami squares between classes — and they’ve certainly never known the angst of a world without call waiting (the busy signal ended plenty of relationships back in the day.)
But this new generation is all about who’s got the rizz and who doesn’t. And let me tell you, it took me a while to understand what that even meant.
The terms “boyfriend” and “girlfriend” are used sparingly, and the thought of commitment seems overrated—so most people are all about the casual hook-up or keen on serial monogamy. Being picked up and greeted with flowers is a thing of the past, and I’m not sure what to think about the future. I know the generations of adults to come before me likely thought the same thing about my contemporaries. But at least we tried to keep up with dating traditions.
So now I have to ask all the “adults” out there, what are your thoughts on Gen Z’s dating habits and what concerns you the most? Maybe, like me, you're concerned they’re starting to rub off on the millennials and Gen Xers of the world because the lack of effort seems to increase daily.
Or maybe you feel like Gen Z is at a disadvantage because, thanks to dating apps and technology, there seem to be so many choices these days, and no one wants to say yes to just one person. Texting supersedes having an actual phone conversation, and they really don’t know what they’re missing out on. (I know I’m not the only one who remembers falling asleep on the phone with my crush after talking for hours about absolutely nothing.)
I know I'm not alone over here. Share your views on Gen Z’s dating rituals below or anonymously with this Google form. Your comment may appear in a future BuzzFeed article!
