The words “hooking up” usually evoke a controversial response but why is that? So many of us are conditioned to believe that having sex is frowned upon and is something to be kept in secrecy. But its 2018 and consenting adults should be able to hook up with one another without feeling dehumanized by society. Physical connection could be present where emotional connection is not and that is not something to be ashamed about.
That being said, emotional connection is a vital part of human interaction and in no way comes second to connecting physically. The integration of the concept of casual sexual activity into daily life is what some say to be the ‘end of romance as we know it’ but I choose to see “hook-up culture” in a different light. Popular dating apps such as Tinder, Bumble, and Grindr all serve the same purpose: to shed the awkwardness from meeting someone face to face and to be a platform where people can be honest about what they want from other people.
These apps thrive by capitalizing on ideologies we have created and turning them into a “culture”. A perspective I can offer through personal experience is that dating apps can be sexually liberating instead of constricting. They allow you to present yourself the way you want to be seen meanwhile sparking an interactive discourse that doesn’t normally occur in person. Some people find it difficult to separate emotional and physical attraction, other people are able to be intimate without harbouring deep feelings towards the other person. To each their own, but we have the power to decide how we want to build relationships with one another. Hooking up may be culture but everyone has the autonomy to participate in it or not.