There used to be a time when dating was quite simple. Perhaps, simple is the wrong word; but was easier. In the times before the Internet became weaved into the fabric of our daily lives, finding yourself a partner was more of a natural process. Whether you were introduced to your potential partner via a friend, or you met someone at work or merely approached someone directly, it all happened if it happened. You just had one phone that your contacts could either get in touch with you or do not bother at all. Better still, you did not even have a phone, you had great love letters.
Then the World Wide Web came along and entirely revolutionized the way we see the world, creating new possibilities; from different ways to interact with your friends and being in contact with your families, meeting strangers and forming new relationships. While the concept of Online Dating was introduced, it totally changed the notion of dating completely. People were no more leaving love down to unanticipated encounters; but instead, they were actively out there searching for it. Connecting with someone online than became the new way of picking up on someone’s brain. Nothing wrong with that, but that, doesn’t necessarily mean that having an “ internet interaction ” with someone, has anything to do with what real chemistry is all about. Technology is actually taking away from us the excitement of having a one on one encounter as we used to have before. ( That’s a tough one)
Dating/ Romance in The 21st Century
No matter what your relationship status has been, whether happily single, happily dating, happily in a relationship, the obsession with technology has greatly changed the pattern of dating/romance in the 21st century and generated a completely new format for modern day romance. These days, it is paradoxical to pay ‘hard-to-get’ as we are constantly connected and our whole stream of self-consciousness is showcased to all to see online. For instance, if you cannot use the excuse, ‘I was very busy and was not able to call’ or ‘I was too occupied to check your message’ while everyone can see that you have been actively using Facebook or updating your Twitter feed. As a matter of fact, communication now is easier and very rapid now, and as a result it has removed the ‘thrill of the chase’ and has rather killed romance.
We can message, poke or tweet anyone without having ever met them in person. We can check out their merits before spending some time with them, scan their interests before we show them our interests and check out their photos, and do not want them to know that they are being carefully censored.
Whether we appreciate it or not, the digital age has produced a new guide book to modern day romance. Phrases such as ‘Tweet me’ or ‘Are you on Facebook?’ are not uncommon to hear upon meeting a stranger and this e-flirting is the latest ‘wooing’.
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