What's the Difference?: Dating Then VS. Dating Now

Times change and the course of how people do and perceive certain things gradually evolve. This month we celebrate the season of lovers and self-love, you don’t need to be in a relationship to be happy and even for those who are in a relationship, it’s interesting to know how things were way back in the past.

Dating styles and courtship have changed to match society and here are 5 differences of dating in the past vs. dating now.

1. Courtship Process

Then
It’s a known fact that the first stage of dating starts with expressing your interest in your future partner. And in the past where we didn’t have the help and handy work of the internet and smartphones. The traditional way was more personal and double the effort in groundwork.

Guys would make multiple trips to the girl’s home and bring her gifts and occasional even for her parents in order to win their favor - and possibly to make sure he’s not thrown out of the house by them. 

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Of course, same sex courtship was another story altogether.

Now
Who needs to invest that much energy on the first stage of dating when you can text your sweet words through your phone and profess your blooming undying love by sending pictures by Facebook messenger and other apps.

Chat Elaine

2. Dates

Then
The old school way of going on a date would be sparing no expense in making sure you’re treating your date right and that you’re dressed to impress like it was your last day to live. The type of date where you go on long romantic walks and steal glances at each other while sharing food and drinks like you couldn’t finish your own.

Wingman Club

You rarely meet with your date at a place, the guys would traditionally pick up the girl from her house and return her home before her set curfew.

Now
The only time you’ll look away and hide your phone on a date is when you really are invested in that someone that you’re with. Chances are if you’ve lost interest with someone on a date you’ll whip out your phone faster than you realize. 

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Set a time and place and you meet your date, more often than not dates are more spontaneous and people don’t usually plan where to go and just go with the flow.

3. Relationship Status

Then
Once you get past the dating phase and the lucky lady gives you her most coveted “yes” then you’re in a relationship, simple as that. Guys wouldn’t court anyone they weren’t interested in having as their girlfriend and most commonly their wife in the long run.

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Now
People nowadays have a hard time committing to a relationship and having labels put on them. In the age where flings, hookups, and tinder dates are abundant having a real committed relationship is not as easy to come by like it was before. Relationship status, who can really pin it down? It’s as confusing and frustrating when you don’t know where you stand with someone you like.

I Waste So Much Time

4. Meeting the Parents

Then
If you wanted to see the girl of your dreams you would need to meet the parents and give them gifts while visiting the girl at her house. No parent would let their child go out on a date with someone they didn’t know and subjected to routine interviews.

Yahoo

Now
You only meet the parents when you’re social media-official with your relationship, parents don’t come in until you’re serious about one another that you’ve decided to focus only on your partner and stop playing around with others. What could be more serious and taking someone to meet your parents? Nothing, because when you meet the family you’re in it for the long run - hopefully.

Neatorama

5. Chivalry

Then
It was a custom for guys to be the perfect gentlemen not only in the eyes of the girl but definitely in the eyes for her parent’s because being “a cool bad boy” or “prankster joker” would not score you points for being boyfriend material.

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Open doors, pull out chairs, walk her to and from places, pay the bill, and many more. The effort was real and it mattered because it showed that they guy cared and there was no need nor desire for any complicated games.

Now
Chivalry isn’t completely dead but it isn’t that easy to come by as it was before. Guys wouldn’t invest much work on a girl if she didn’t steady catch his eye and they would rarely do everything that was mentioned above in the back then. Some guys often would wait a few days to call a girl back or vividly express his concern or interest in her affairs - relationships are confusing and so are the convoluted dating games that questions if the other party likes you or not.

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