Dating Articles
How Dating Has Changed
If one were to talk to their grandparents about dating, they would find that it has changed considerably over the last one hundred years. While things were once very formal and etiquette was followed, dating today is much more relaxed and casual. Yes, couples still dress up for certain dates, such as prom and homecoming, but most teenagers and young couple prefer to be comfortable and jeans and t-shirts are the norm.
One hundred years ago, the couple would wait an appropriate amount of time between the invitation to go out and the actual date. Today, it’s not uncommon for the invitation and date to be on the same date. There are also no chaperone’s present today, although many young men are invited in to meet the family and deal with the usual questions of where are you going, what are you going to do, and curfew is at…insert time here.
Some young men still bring their dates flowers and chocolates although this practice isn’t quite as common as it used to be. Also, conversation was more proper, covering everything from the weather to the most popular book of the day, usually covering the man’s interests. Today, some women are lucky if the only words they hear have to do with sports and what game is on television. They are also lucky if they receive a love letter that does not include the words ‘e-mail me’ on it.
What caused such a drastic change in the way dating has changed? Technology, individuality, and men and women becoming more independent. In today’s society, a woman is just as likely to become the CEO of a major corporation as a man. With this constantly changing landscape of male and female roles, it is very conceivable that we may start seeing more and more of the traditional roles, such as the man proposing or asking a woman on a date, becoming reversed.
Sexual activity before marriage has also become less of a taboo, although with the onset of AIDS years ago, many couples are practicing safe sex or even abstinence. STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) are still common, even though many of them can be treated or even cured by medication. It sort of makes people stop and think about having sex so soon and that maybe their ancestors had the right idea about waiting.