By Blair Pott

As young people, we think that shifting from one relationship to another will somehow bring us into the arms of the one we are supposed to be with. However, all it seems to showcase is how low our standards can be. Our families can poke fun and say, “Oh, which one is this?” Then, we often smirk and say, “Oh, just Jay.” We say it as if the person we are dating is just another fling away from being “the one.” But, this one will not last either. This is because many failed relationships, in this generation, have happened because of technology. Social media is used for everything; including dating, which has now become a heartless task as one can dispose of another so quickly.

For many years, social media outlets have been the ideal way to meet a significant other. Age groups ranging from sixteen to thirty often use dating websites, such as Tinder, and Plenty of Fish. These sites provide potential “dating” contacts that live in nearby vicinities, which they believe the searcher will want to meet. From experience, these websites make one believe the little white lies they see displayed on the screen, but oftentimes, the cold hard facts are a slap in the face when the relationship comes crashing down. For the most part, the relationships from these websites average two-months in length because the guys are after a “hook-up.” That could also be said of some of the girls. In either case, a good percentage of those perusing dating sites are not interested in a commitment, but rather a streamline of half-truths to get what they want. Unfortunately, those half-truths can become the facts we think we know, as the relationship surges forward.

Dating has become an unfeeling task in our everyday lives. Because of technology, we can just fire-off a text to our significant other and carry on with our day, but how heartless is that? A quick text can be devoid of any feeling or attachment because the sender cannot see the receiver’s reaction. These impersonal messages often lead to many arguments for those who are dating. Arguments over misunderstood texts can create feelings of emptiness, risk, and hollowness. Those feelings come when one is sent something nasty and hateful. It is at this point, that the receiver has to figure out how not to let loose the nuclear cannon on the sender. Contemplating how to respond involves realization of the truth: “Is it truly worth it?” Most of the time, the answer is “No.” So, instead we detach ourselves even more, by saying, “Talk to you later,” hence, dismissing the argument like it never happened.

In summary, being young, we can drop each other as soon as we pick each other up. We can be completely besotted today, and then feel nothing tomorrow. As a generation, we move on, bottling up the hurt or agony that a past relationship may have caused us. We do not sit around and wonder what we could have done differently, or even question, “What we did wrong?” Moving on, we ditch Jay and pick up Ian, hoping he will be “the one.” However, heartache remains attached, even as we recycle significant others, trying to find the missing piece to this never-ending jigsaw puzzle.

Header photo by Michael Coghlan (flickr creative commons)