Many people grew up watching rom-coms about the shy girl meeting her Prince Charming or hearing their grandparents talk about being high school sweethearts. But the times when taking someone out on a proper date and asking for their parents’ approval seem to have changed. For younger generations, the idea of finding “the one” is still a want, but the way to achieve that has changed.
The evolution of dating, which once consisted of courting one and only one person consistently, then labeling the relationship, has now turned into a swipe left or a swipe right. Modern-day dating has evolved into a complex series of ghosting, dating apps, and situationships.
These so-called “situationships,” instead, have become the new wave of the dating scene for younger generations. According to Gen Z, a situationship is when two people act like they are dating, but are not committed to one another. It is casual and undefined but still has both an emotional and physical connection.
Nowadays relationship expectations have changed. According to Bloomberg, Gen Z is now wanting to get married later in life and many have preferred to explore relationships in a less structured way without the pressure of commitment.
A way for singles to explore the world of romance is by using dating apps. Dating apps are marketed to make the dating scene simple and easy. Users are allowed to decide whether they want to pursue someone for themselves just by looking at a few pictures and profiles.
According to BusinessofApps.com, in 2021, over 323 million people worldwide were reported using dating apps. Nearly half of all 18-to-29-year-olds reported using a dating app in their life, according to a 2020 Pew Research Center study.
24-year-old Christina Hein met her current boyfriend Sean in 2019 from Hinge, a dating app that is self-acclaimed to have been “designed to be deleted.” It was both their first time downloading and using a dating app.
Hein said, “I downloaded Hinge back in 2019 because I wanted to try something new and put myself out there. You can’t find anyone unless you use an app now.”
According to a 2017 Stanford study, 39% of couples reported meeting their partner online. Hein and her boyfriend both deleted the app a month after meeting each other.
During the pandemic, dating apps saw major increases. Bumble reported a 70 percent increase in video calls. And for the first time in March 2020, Tinder exceeded three billion swipes in one day. According to BusinessofApps.com, the dating app market in 2021 made $5.61 billion in revenue.
Dating may not be how it was when our grandparents were young, but recent research shows dating culture has adapted to younger generations in order to fit with their new relationship expectations. Sophia Hein, 21, said three members of her family found their partners through dating apps.
“When it works, it works. And I think there is still a stigma when you mention that you met on a dating app but with our generation that’ll eventually become a norm,” Hein said.
Featured Image Courtesy of Emily Figueroa.