In an old episode of “One Tree Hill”, Sophia Bush’s character said, “Relationships are just too hard. Hooking up with boys is so much easier.”
In college, there is a wide range of types of romantic relationships. We have so many terms defining the countless stages of love and lust, ranging from just casually “hooking up” to becoming exclusively “Facebook Official.”
What do Elon students think? Is dating an old-fashioned tradition, dominated by casual hookups and one-night stands?
“People who are hooking up like each other, but they are not in a fully committed relationship as time
consuming and emotionally taxing as dating,” sophomore Carrie Austin* said. “At this time in college, I prefer hooking up because I don’t feel as tied down to another person and their needs. You get to have fun and hang out with a person, but without the emotional rollercoaster.”
For other students, something that starts out as just a casual hook up can turn into a committed relationship. Sophomore Kim Wisniewski met her future boyfriend the first week of her freshman year at Elon, and after hooking up for a few weeks the pair started officially dating.
“When hooking up, you can never fully know if the other person’s intentions are real, and it’s much more casual,” Wisniewski said. “But in a committed relationship, the feelings are stronger and you’re more likely to stay together for a long time.”
Although their relationship started out as nothing more than a hook up, Wisniewski and her boyfriend have now been together for almost a year.
As students get older, many feel it’s time to start settling down. But others want to take full advantage of their last year in college.
“As a senior, I see dating a lot more often,” senior Maggie Cissel said. “Out of my group of friends, at least half are in a serious relationship and are settling down. But others are doing the exact opposite. It seems like senior year you’re either dating someone or hooking up with a ton of people.”
In Brenda Wilson’s “Sex Without Intimacy: No Dating, No Relationships” on National Public Radio (NPR), it was said, “Hooking up has virtually replaced dating.” A professor of sociology and criminal justice at La Salle University interviewed on the show said, “On college campuses young men and women have unrestricted access to each other. Throw in the heavy drinking that occurs on most campuses and there are no inhibitions to stand in the way of a hook up.”
In the end, it all depends on the individual.
“Some people are happier being in casual hook ups, whereas others like myself enjoy being in a committed relationship and having that special someone you can always count on,” Wisniewski said.