Growing up my mom always told me stories of all the different types of dates she went on in college. She’d go out on double dates, blind dates, and friendly dates just to mingle, have fun, and meet new people. It seemed like she and her friends were ALWAYS going out on dates whether they were serious about a guy or not. All of her stories got me thinking about the dating that I see happening in my generation of friends and how different things seem from when my mom was in college.

Nowadays, it seems like people don’t go out quite as much and when they do, it usually means that a couple is exclusive already. Technology has drastically changed the way we date and I cannot help but notice how similar this new method of dating is to fast food restaurants.

Here are 5 reasons that dating is becoming just like fast food, but not in a good way:

1. Convenience Drives Our Actions:
   One of the reasons fast food is so popular in America is because we love the convenience of it. We are all about wanting what is easiest and most efficient for us. For example, when we want a good burger but we’re on a time crunch (we almost always are) we will most likely choose to go to McDonald’s instead of going to FiveGuys even though FiveGuys is the better burger. This is true especially when it comes to dating. Online dating or browsing through Facebook is much more convenient to learn about someone than meeting face to face. Why would we spend time and money taking people out on dates to get to know them when all we need to know is right on their Facebook page?
   
   
2. There Are So Many Options:
   If you’re looking for a burger, you have Burger King, McDonald’s, Cookout, Sonic, and countless other options to satisfy your burger needs. Much like the endless list of burger options, with technology and social media, now we are able to browse around and see the endless list of options we have out there. So, I guess it makes sense why we would be selective about who we want to take out because we can see a world of options right at the click of a button. Instead of going out with different people every weekend to see what works, we are more likely just to browse/stalk online until we’ve found someone we’re willing to take a risk with.
   
   
3. It Lacks Personal Interaction:
   There are some days where we stay in our pajamas all day and don’t want to talk to other human beings. On those days, it is always a good idea to use the drive thru of our favorite fast food restaurant in order to avoid as little human contact as possible. Much like the drive thru at a fast food restaurant, dating now seems to be as impersonal as ever. With something as simple and generic as an emoji you can convey your feelings to someone.
   
   
4. Nothing is Ever Intentional:
   Fast food is so quick, cheap, and easy that we unintentionally can find ourselves eating out 5 or 6 times a week. When we go out so often it hardly seems like a special occasion. The same theme of "unintentionality" can be seen in the dating world. In the past, going out on the weekend was a way to purposely mingle and meet new people. While of course people still go out on the weekend, it hardly seems like they are looking to meet new friends or new potential boyfriends/girlfriends.
   
5. It’s Becoming All the Same:
   McDonald’s, Burger King, Cookout, Sonic… the list of different names goes on but in reality, they are all just selling the same cheap food. Dating now is similar because it honestly seems all the same. Meeting someone used to be a unique experience that would strengthen your relationship when you told others how you met. It was all about “the look” or the awkward first moments of meeting. Now it seems as boring and generic as sending one another that first Facebook message or getting a match on Tinder.