Do you want to understand the kind of love you are in? Take time to read this

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It’s no surprise that the rules of dating and relationships have changed. With changing lifestyles and the introduction of technology, the way people choose and acquire a potential partner will not be the same the way our parents did it.

But to those not too old to have gotten a glimpse of old school relationships yet young enough to embrace the modern times, here are the things you observe about modern relationships.

#1 Courtship is almost non-existent. The meaning of courtship has different meanings depending on what culture you belong. Generally speaking, it is the period of romantic activity often initiated by men prior to asking for the woman’s hand for marriage.

Others consider courtship as that period of limited dating before becoming an item. Nowadays, you start as friends, you date, and you become a couple. No more formal dinner introduction to parents and chaperoned dates. Maybe the closest thing to courtship we have now is “hanging out.” 

#2 The Definition of a “Relationship” has become blurry.  Before, you either were single  

or dating. Nowadays it is common to hear young people call their relationship in some kind of category from a list so long that we can’t put it here.

While it sounds baffling to people from the older generation, young couples pay less attention to the rules and labels that governed typical romantic relationships. Maybe that’s why “it’s complicated.” 

#3 More people are turning to online dating to find a partner. In this day where dating apps such as Tinder, OkCupid, or Hinge are the thing, finding a date in those 2000s era dating websites is even considered obsolete. This actually makes sense given that almost everyone owns a smartphone. We spend a lot of time in the digital world.

Compare that to the time when people met their life partners in the form of a childhood friend or a co-worker on your first job and online dating was thought to be reserved for people with poor social skills.

Nowadays, online dating is considered normal and is even applauded for its convenience.

#4 Breaking up with someone has become easier. While this fact is not totally good news, it is one of the implications of easily finding partners through dating apps.

Years ago, couples broke up face to face in restaurants or in the privacy of their apartments. Now you easily break up with someone over text. Horrible, yeah. Well, this awful convenience leads to point five.

#5 Young people date more partners in their lifetime. If you start young, you collect a lot along the way. However, with the advent of online dating and portable dating apps, it also makes it easier to find a new partner and move on to the next. Modern relationships have become like buying a car that needs a test drive before committing one’s self to it.

#5 Being single is absolutely fine.Back in the day your parents would definitely worry if you remained single past your thirties.

In modern relationships, being single is not only normal, it’s even a personal choice. Maybe that’s because women nowadays have careers too and not just wait to get married.

#6 More couples delaying marriage at a later age. Try to ask your parents when they were married and try to ask a young professional when they intend to settle down and you’ll get what we mean. People from the older generation consider the early 20s as the ideal age to marry.

Younger people, especially college-educated professionals, often focus on their careers. They are content to have a romantic relationship for the meantime before considering tying the knot. 

#7 Marriage has become optional. As mentioned, it’s not as if people don’t want to get married. Not only that they tend to move it to a later time of their life, their view of marriage has become more secular than those from the older generation.

We all know that people from the older generation had a conservative view of marriage and tend to get married first before moving further. Nowadays, it is common to see unmarried partners living together and even having kids before deciding to get married.