I'm no dating expert, but as I've mentioned before, I do know a thing or two about over-thinking (which, not surprisingly, is probably why I am no dating expert). Recent over-thinking has been centered around both the difficulties and rewards of dating in our label-happy, technology-obsessed generation.
I often wonder what happened to old-fashioned dating -- dating in the sense of being able to spend time with a person but not be "exclusive," not be "complicated," not be "together," but to just be in one another's company. Instead, dating has evolved into a pressure-filled, semi-confusing, yet rewarding endeavor in which millennials participate. But what is held responsible for this shift?
- The ease and expectation of constant communication. This is all great in the beginning stages of a relationship, when the infatuation is still present, but constant communication eventually leads to a lack of discussion material, which in my experience, leads to boredom. It also leads to paranoia in certain situations, like if someone isn't texting at all free hours, then they are automatically up to no good. This adds an unnecessary level of stress to a modern-day relationship, a stress which didn't exist years ago when constant communication wasn't even an option.
The common thread in all of these points? Technology. I won't deny my love for technology. I am a bit of a social media, blogging obsessed person and therefore, I love having it at my fingertips. But there is no denying that it has certainly changed the dynamic of dating for the millennial generation, something older generations struggle to grasp and understand.
Alas, as with everything in life, time changes the manner in which different generations navigate the world -- and that is what keeps it interesting.