There’s nothing that makes me want to punch myself in the throat more than putting myself out into the dating world especially during this day and age. As a single 19-year old living it up in New York City I’m trapped in the heavy hookup culture. It’s all about having the hottest guy at the bar buy you a drink, crafting the right text message to seem normal yet exciting at the same time and perfecting your judgment skills when swiping left or right on Tinder. I’m sure many of us have encountered situations like these, that make us wonder what a genuine date would be like and feel like. To be quite honest, dating now is hard and I hate it with every fiber of my being. Here are a few situations we’ve all encountered.

1. The "I'm not looking for a relationship" phrase

I’ll always appreciate a man with a genuine sense of honesty. Except, when he says that line before asking for my name. I find this to be incredibly disrespectful; women aren’t always immediately looking to be involved in a relationship.

2. Cyberstalking

From the moment someone shares their first name, it becomes your mission to use the Internet in order to figure out everything about them. Cyberstalking is creepy and it takes out the fun of exploring the other person.

3. Changing your Facebook relationship status

Today, we share absolutely everything on social media. Changing your status from "single" to "in a relationship" lets everyone know that you have managed to find a relationship. Updating your status takes away the privacy from the relationship.

4. The importance of messaging

How scary is it to think that one message can determine your fate with someone else? For most, messages like "Hi" or "Come over" are a complete turn-off. There is no sense of character and physicality when sending dull messages.

5. Boring dates

It's completely understandable to go to a bar where there are people and the environment is relaxed on a first date. But to keep going to bars takes away from the fun and excitement of dating someone. Sometimes we have these picturesque dates imprinted in our minds after watching so many rom-coms, but that doesn't mean we expect every partner to roll up in a carriage and take us to some place new each date. We simply want someone to care about the relationship and to have fun.

6. Tinder, Bumble, and many other dating sites

These dating sites are supposed to make things easier but can lead to a lot more hurt feelings and miscommunication. This form of dating is completely based off of judging someone from their photo and sending the best message.

Unfortunately, anyone who has been single for a long time can completely understand this list. Modern dating is tough and if you ever feel like giving up, know that there are a bunch of other people struggling with you.