To say dating has changed over the last 5 years would be an understatement. Yet to say that it looks totally different from 2002 or even 1980 would be fact.
In 2002, one of the number one songs was "U Got It Bad" by Usher and the dating trend was Three-Way Calling - if you had a super brave best friend, you'd make her call your crush while you silently listened in on three-way calling as she asked if your crush liked you, too. Sometimes it was a disaster, and sometimes it led to great romances, but all of the time it was a cringe-worthy and scary.
In 1990, MIchael Boltons' "How Am I Supposed to Live Without You" was one of the top songs.
Hands down. Do I really need to elaborate?
Making a phone call instead of texting is so much more personal.
From my home phone (that's right, cell phones weren't always the prominent means of communication), I'd dial the number of my crush, wait for their parents to answer and then ask to speak to him.
Then we'd talk for a little while I lay on my bedroom floor, twirling my hair and we'd make a plan to meet.
From the use of cell phones, to online dating, the ability to meet a partner has brought more challenges that are difficult to manuveur is you have idea of the "rules" no less "new rules". Long gone are the days when you'll meet at an ATM or in the laundromat through Teisha and I are still old skol nostalgics who still believe it's possible.
However, we must be willing and unafraid to dip our toe into online dating as statistics show 35% of couples meet online these days, and they even dare to say that relationships that start online tend to last longer than traditional meeting couples. There are a whopping 34.5 million online dating users in 2022. Sure, it may be unnerving yet these are the new rules.
Lastly, Teisha and I discussed the word "relationship" and the negative connotations it brings when seeking a partner or companionship. We suggested the word "connections" over the relationships. Why? When a relationship is broken, it shatters into pieces that are impossible to ever put back to together. However, when you disconnect from something/someone, you have the ability to unplug with no shattered pieces. What do you think?
Be well and stay healthy!
