With Valentine’s Day around the corner, many may be making plans for dinner and a movie. For others, it’s a night of Netflix and chill. That alone might make one wonder if dating has changed substantially due to social media with Facebook and Tinder at our fingertips. How has dating changed in today’s society compared with the early ’90s?
I wanted to find the answers, so I began by handing out questionnaires that would apply to older and younger millennials, to see the difference between our generation gap with dating in today’s society. Del Mar student Beatriz Rivera, 22, was asked about her best pickup line. “Daddy’s Home,” she said in a confident tone. Networking major Savion DeLeon, 22, prefers to keep things simple. “Hi” is his go-to icebreaker.
But before you can deliver your pickup line, you need to know what you’re looking for. When asked what qualities he looks for in a significant other, Del Mar student Austin Barrett, 20, said he seeks someone “intelligent, funny and with a personality.”
Psychology major Roel Zavala, 31, not only listed qualities but a requirement of a specific skill set. “Tortilla making is something I look for; if not see you later!” he said.
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Ninety-one percent of students who participated in the survey said they believe in love.
More than one-third of students said they used social media and apps to meet new people.
Surprisingly, most of them were older millennials, while younger millennials resort to more traditional social settings at school or the workplace.
While students have different ways of meeting someone or expressing interest, there’s one thing nearly all agreed on: Love is real. Ninety-one percent of students said they believed in love.
“I love my family, and I would do anything for them. The same for my bf (boyfriend). All I want is to see them happy,” said Del Mar student Esmeralda Jimenez, 21.
Chemical engineering major Laura Aparicio, 27, seems to have it all figured out.
“I’ve been in a relationship with the same guy for three years even when I know the worst part of him. If that’s not love then I don’t know what is,” Aparicio said.
So I leave you with this, do your own thing that makes you … YOU. Have a happy Valentine’s Day!
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