InState Magazine

Today’s dating culture is pretty different than in the early 1900’s and even in our parents’ day

and age. Not only has the process of dating changed tremendously, but also the ways in

which we communicate have as well. This change can be attributed to society’s evolving cultural

values and social construction. Cultural values are things that our society deem as important

such as marriage, monogamy, reproduction, etc. And social construction is basically the idea

that everything we believe is made up. So, how does technology play into how college-aged

students date?

 

First of all, technology has made dating much easier. Before cellphones, laptops and other devices

were invented, one would have to make plans in advance or hope to see their crush during the day,

since there was no way of contacting them. Now, with texting and social media, college students

can meet up with each other with just the touch of a few buttons.Students can also meet each other

on college dating websites  such as https://datemyschool.com/.

 

“Maybe while technology may make it easier to meet up with people, it can make it easier maybe

to talk to people. People may feel a little more comfortable in those first initial conversations if

they’re through text or Facebook or email or something like that,” said sociology professor

Dr. Stacy Silver.

 

“Also technology is not just stuff like computers but things like birth control and the

availability of Plan B. These are important aspects of technology too,” Silver said.

 

Not only does technology make it easier for college peers to communicate, but it has also opened

up a new door of exploration. This change in dating culture is called hooking up. Dr. Silver said that

technology has allowed dating to be more spontaneous and students often feel comfortable in their

college environment, therefore they are likely to “hookup,” meaning anything from kissing to sexual

intercourse between people who are not dating each other, according to Dr. Silver’s Sociology 30 class. Also, with college comes freedom, so many students may feel the need to explore their options. 

 

In addition, there is a belief that “everyone is doing it,” so a great amount of pressure is put on college students to conform. In reality, not everyone is doing it. In fact, only 36 percent of women currently enrolled in Dr. Silver’s Soc 30 class admitted to hooking up in an anonymous survey, while 52 percent of men did. Dr. Silver advises students who feel pressured to hookup to stay true to themselves and what they as an individual believe is right.

 

“It’s not something that everyone is doing. Often, students especially women will come and say that they feel if they don’t do it then they’ll feel left out and that just doesn’t seem to be true,” said Dr. Silver. “Also I would remind them that there are consequences to being sexually intimate with somebody. It’s not over when the physicality is over, whether you’re just kissing or having intercourse. Of course the more physical you are, the more emotional consequences there are.”

 

Technology has also played a role in our interpretations of what committed relationships and marriage should be. We get ideas from things such as TV shows, books, online communities, etc. According to Dr. Silver, we learn new options through other people and think that maybe we could try it too. This is not necessarily a bad thing, it’s just a change from a totally traditional relationship or marriage to an individualized one, where it is important to achieve your own happiness no matter what other people think.

 

Although technology has enhanced the communication between college students, it can also make things too easy.

 

“Sometimes I let my busy college life interfere with my past relationships. I would constantly rely on Skype and OOVOO to see my significant other and not make that special time to visit them personally and enjoy one another’s company,” said junior, information sciences and technology major, Dominique Scott.

 

LeShae Daniel, a senior and human development and family studies major, said that technology has changed dating by making it more public than private and made it more likely for college students to.