In today’s world, college isn’t for dating — it’s for hooking up.
In this university’s campus culture, it’s assumed that everyone is single and looking for anything less than serious. Some people are happy living this way, some are not. What it all boils down to is commitment.
If all someone wants to commit to is a swipe, Tinder, among other apps, lets one filter out who’s worth it and who isn’t — swipers don’t even have to commit to a message. Snapchat lets someone limit their commitment to how long they let someone be on their screen. They decide if they want to keep a streak, or if they want to leave someone on read.
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It can be hard to acknowledge wanting more commitment than just hooking up when all students are surrounded by hookup culture. Catching feelings can seem terrifying. Despite this, it’s necessary to not only recognize but respect one’s feelings. Denying them or settling for a less than ideal scenario will never end with a healthy relationship or with being content.
It can be scary for someone to admit that they aren’t okay with just hooking up or being friends with benefits with someone and that they want more. Real feelings are okay. What isn’t okay is wasting someone else’s time because those real feelings are not revealed.
No matter if someone wants to commit to someone else or not, communication should be constant. We’re too young to be afraid and too old to waste our time.
Regardless of what everyone else is thinking, one should choose their own happiness. For some, that means abstinence. For others, that means hooking up with someone new every time. Still, more might find solace in friends with benefits, dating or the exclusive relationship. That means finding someone to be friends with benefits with.
It’s likely that most don’t really know where they’re at in this moment. No one is wrong and it’s okay if what someone wants changes. More than anything, one should want to be content with their relationships and sex — denying those is denying love for themselves and others in any of its forms.
