Let’s face reality. Our expectations for men are completely different than they used to be, and why is that? I’m sure you could come up with a lot of different reasons, but one of the biggest ones: social media. Social media puts this huge expectation on guys to be perfect and over-the-top for women, and when they don’t do the things we see in tweets, we get upset. But let’s get real. Is that what you really want? It’s time to think about the things in life that are the most important when searching for a significant other. A $50 makeup palette is not the first step to a lifetime of happiness. If the reason you’re fighting with the boy you’re pursuing is because he didn’t buy you this or that, rethink that.

Relationships are built on morals, trust, engagement with one another, etc- rather than objects or materialism. Modern media puts this idea in our heads that a guy needs to buy us a new fancy dress or surprise us with a bag full of Victoria’s Secret in order to keep us happy. Or if they don’t take us to the nicest restaurant in town, they aren’t trying hard enough. It seems as if these fancy gifts were given to someone, somewhere, and all of sudden, every girl in the world is sitting on the couch waiting for that man to come along and any guy that doesn’t shower them with expensive gifts isn’t good enough. That’s not what we need to be seeking out. I want to be showered with love. I want someone who I can laugh with no matter what we’re doing. It doesn’t matter where we go as long as he treats me nicely. Open the door for me, and then we can get McDonald’s for all I care. Flowers are nice. They can cost $5. Maybe take me out to a nice restaurant on a special day of the year.

Girls — we have way too high of expectations. Because do you know how disappointing it is for a guy to realize they can’t meet them? Gifts are nice, yes. And it is fun to surprise your person with a random present of something they love. We can do that too. It doesn’t have to be just them. When we hope for so much from someone, we end up acting spoiled and overly expectant. Our hearts need to be expectant of something more- of love for one another. And building a love that will guide us for the rest of our lives. It cannot be built on the things we see on social media. Relationships are so skewed because to “prove” you love each other means posting pictures of each other on Instagram. I’m searching for something real. This doesn’t mean lower your standards. We all deserve the person that fits us best, that knows us and understands us, and that truly loves us. Standards and expectations are two different things. However, we too often get caught up in what we expect from guys and then we lose sight of what could be with someone. Let’s rewind to the days where the romantic gestures were romantic gestures and not just romantic purchases.