Unpopular opinion: I hate hooking up. I need emotional connection or else I do not really, truly enjoy the situation. I would rather be taken on a date than have a one-night-stand. I would rather have a real conversation than a gross drunken make out.
That being said, because of how our generation works, I end up hooking up because everyone hooks up. It is hypocritical, but it seems like my only option.
I hate dating in our generation. Everyone wants the benefits of a relationship without the exclusivity. And if they do want the exclusivity, they do not want the title. I hate our generation’s mindset, and I blame Tinder.
Swiping seems like the only way to meet people outside of the “Rollins bubble,”
and meeting up with them is always sketchy. Catfishing, or misrepresenting oneself online, is real, and there is no nice way out of that.
On the other hand, matching with people in your classes is kind of awkward, especially at such a small school. It is a bit of a struggle.
I have had a variety of experiences on Tinder. I matched with a guy from Rollins during my freshman year, and we ended up being really good friends throughout college. I went on a date with a guy from the University of Central Florida who was super cute and cool; we talked for a while, but he was not over his ex.
I have also had bad experiences. I went on a date with a guy who had graduated from University of Florida, but he was catfishing me, and I got my friend to fake an emergency call to get me out of it. I have had creepy guys who would not stop messaging me. I have had stalkers. I have had guys who have made me wonder how their mother raised them. I have had everything in between. Tinder is a world of endless possibilities—each one more cringey than the next.
Everyone seems to want sex and only sex. And if they are vague, trying to find out what the other person’s intentions are should be considered an extreme sport.
Tinder endorses hook-up culture, and for people like me, it makes life harder.
It seems like there is a consistent motif: everyone is damaged from their past relationships and is just looking for something casual while they are in college. They eventually get lonely, lead on a few people, and call them crazy if one of them gets attached.
No matter their gender, everyone does it. We are all at fault. Even I am at fault; everyone seems to fall victim to this mindset. At this point, real relationships seem so foreign.
The rise of Tinder has only further damaged the way our generation sees love and relationships. It is hard to get a date on Valentine’s Day because it seems so serious—but why is it so difficult to just enjoy someone’s company? Why does it have to be so convoluted? Can we just sit down and enjoy a meal without the fear of it turning into something serious? Maybe I am just old fashioned, but a nice dinner and a genuine conversation for Valentine’s Day seems like the move.
The sad part is, I know that Valentine’s Day will just be another night of going out, with everyone making the same mistakes with the same people they will hide from while walking to class the next day. It sucks, but it is the nature of our generation.
Hopefully, this year, people will go against our Generation Z narrative and try something new (and better).
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