As Valentine’s Day approaches, I can’t help but think about how love and relationships today differ from back in the days. Relationships from the past were more genuine and filled with respect. Today we base our love off of what social media shows us, physical attraction and lust. Women are seen as objects just as men need to be 6’6” or taller, athletic and money makers. What happened to just loving someone just because you adore their presence and simply just who they are, not only because they are beautiful, popular, sexy or offer something that only benefits you? 

Now, I am not shaming and saying every relationship is lust-filled and selfish because that is not true. Relationships are a beautiful thing that all of creation naturally takes part in. It is just what has become normalized in today’s Gen-Z. I am talking about the hook-up culture, normalized cheating and the drought on long-lasting, meaningful relationships. With the easy access to social media, instant text-messaging and online dating webs, love has unlocked a whole new level. Having these modern gadgets allows us to connect and stay in contact with our significant other even when they are not physically present. This is a huge advancement compared to Gen-X and Millennial relationships back then. 

According to Pew Research Center, “42% of cell-owning 18-29 year olds in serious relationships say their partner has been distracted by their mobile phone while they were together (25% of all couples say this).” With phones and social media advancing day by day, this takes away that intimate moment with your “other half.” . 

There are not only negatives to social media and technology when it comes to relationships; they are also vehicles for capturing and sharing moments with family, friends and yes, creepy stalkers. 

According to a study found on Choosing Therapy, “positive impacts can happen through partners’ public expressions of affection and mutual information sharing; for some it gives them a peace of mind knowing what their partner is up to.”

Today, with more freedom with relationships, we get a more broad way to make choices on how we choose to take on relationships, which makes it more difficult to find something genuine. Today’s dating world is definitely bewildering, especially when it comes to individuals that are fancied and find it fun to be engaging in a toxic relationship. 

Ghosting, “the practice of ending a personal relationship with someone by suddenly and without explanation withdrawing from all communication” according to Oxford Dictionary. This is the new way for people to say “leave me alone, I do not want to continue building a relationship with you and I am not going to tell you why.” Back then there was no such thing because Millennials did not have easy access to technology.

 This all shows what this generation and following generations have to go through and when it comes down to the simplest things we humans naturally take part in. With society’s daily developments and rapid growth in technology, Gen-Z is trying to find what works best for them. When it comes to love and relationships it’s going to take a lot more to find true love.