Ask anyone to describe the dating scene in today's society and nine times out of ten your answer will be somewhere along the lines of hookup culture, one night stand generation, or something along those lines. Our generation is especially known for our ability to spend the night with someone we just met and be on to the next one by breakfast. Nothing like some waffles with a side of STD, am I right?
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In all seriousness, the pressure to keep up with this type of dating scene is ridiculous. The hookup culture is without a doubt inflicting damage on our self esteem both individually and as a whole. The pressure to "put out" can effect even the most confident of people. The consistency or lack there of among our generation not only effects our dating patterns but also regular decisions throughout our lives.
When it comes to relationships in our society, the reality is that most people don't stay together. If you can manage to stay together longer than Kim Kardashian's marriage to Kris Humphries, constant anxiety and paranoia that your significant other is cheating on you is enough to tear your relationship apart.
When I look at my younger sisters who have to grow up in this type of society, I'm not only scared but also angry that they will have to go through this type of nonsense to find happiness with someone else. The fact that they will have to hear 100 negative comments about their body image, how they act, and how they should be acting to "keep a man interested." The thought of my younger sisters going against their morals and losing respect for themselves because they feel they can't keep up makes me sick.
It's not only girls that feel this pressure to be perfect either though. Girls, I know we have all been guilty of a few of these things as well, talking to multiple people at once, waiting for the perfect one to come along. There's nothing wrong with figuring out if someone is right for you or not, but when you are talking to ten different guys at the same time, you might miss out on the guy that actually cares about you. Like my mom said, "Don't count out the nice guy; he's the one that will be there for you when no one else is." As a culture, we're so picky and stereotypical of what we think each gender needs to act like and what others may think of our relationships, we don't realize what may be standing right in front of us.
While a relationship may not be what you want right now, there's no reason traditional dating rules and respect should have taken a back seat. There have been one too many times where both my friends and I have complained wishing "talking" to someone meant you were genuinely interested in getting to know the other person. Ladies and gentlemen, the only way this issue can be resolved is if we actually make an effort to set boundaries and have standards. Don't complain about all the "good" ones being taken when you just spent the night with someone and the only thing you know about her is that she likes vodka cran. Let's get to know each other, people. Then maybe, just maybe, we'll find the good ones may still be out there.
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