True romance is on a dwindling path with distanced and seemingly expendable connections becoming a more normal mindset. Dating apps bring an easy swipe and quick decisions based on superficial features to the dating world, and hookup culture can limit our desire to truly like someone.
Technology also adds a difficult layer to dating, meaning we don’t have to have real face-to-face connections, but we can use it to compare ourselves to someone else. Due to such dating platforms affecting romance, connections are being devalued and distance is becoming more common.
Distance is brought through factors like technology. It's beginning to create an atmosphere where we don’t even have to get out of bed to speak to someone. This brings fewer in-person interactions and less motivation for them. It creates a sense of distance that we get used to. Romance through dry texts and a few pictures feels unreal, but it’s what we have become adjusted to.
Scrolling through social media, we have access to see so many other relationships and people in love. This leaves room to question what we want and need, even though we don’t know the true relationship we are viewing. People show what they want to show about their personal love life, and that’s all we have to compare to our own. Romance through a screen is only part of the real story, but it teaches us to question ourselves more.
Apps such as Tinder, Hinge, Bumble and Grindr are only a few examples of the ways we’re meeting people online. Such platforms quickly arrange for us to see a range of individuals and decide whether they are worth our attention or not through a picture and a few words. It creates a superficial basis to start a connection, and most of the time, the goal isn’t even romance. Dating apps can also be used to seek validation and can create the feeling that people are replaceable because you need to find a new profile to like. The apps may also be extremely unsafe, as these people are essentially strangers. These platforms are one of the reasons why we limit our desire for in-person connection and push hookup culture.
Hookup culture appears to be taking over, especially on college campuses like Ohio University. It’s a way to have new experiences and meet new people with less stress about relationships; however, it may be part of the downfall of romance. It creates an idea that people and potential connections may be expendable. It also creates pressure not to catch feelings, but for some, feelings naturally develop, and this isn’t a negative thing.
Hookup culture can have its benefits, and casual sex is something many enjoy, but it can overshadow the potential for a deep, meaningful relationship, with every aspect of it needing to be casual.
Another word used to represent an uncommitted relationship is “situationship.” This is thrown around with unlabeled, unserious potential commitments on the rise. Hookup culture and unlabeled relationships may bring stress to people looking for deeper connections. They may also push people to hide feelings at a time when it becomes more normal not to care. Not all relationships need to lead to marriage, but they can still have meaning.
Romance is still in the air, and relationships are still in bloom all over. Relationships can even blossom from dating apps and situationships. However, romance is declining with the innovation of dating apps creating distance, and casual mindsets are overpowering what matters when it comes to falling in love in the real world and nurturing a connection.
Kyra Dapore is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Kyra know by emailing her at kd364521@ohio.edu.
