While online dating has been popular online for a while, we are now seeing an influx in the hook-up culture. This is mostly from the use of the app Tinder especially. Young adults are finding small flings and getting to know their bodies more, things couldn’t be better; or could they? From my personal experience, the trend of flings and hook-ups have been a negative and regretful journey on my way to finding my current boyfriend.
The idea of hook-up culture is basically for people to have sex and not have any strings attached. For some, they are the best thing to have, it gets the job done, and you end up satisfied. But what happens when you are in a generation of people who just want to have fun, but you’re ready for something serious? This was my biggest issue and when I got into talking to people here at college; they were looking for more short-term flings when I was trying to find the real deal. I’d find people who I felt I had a genuine connection with and then they would soon get sick of me because I wouldn’t give them what they wanted. I was looking for the right thing in the wrong places.
Another thing about hook-up culture for me is the uncertainty. While most of us young adults had stranger danger on the internet drilled into our brains as kids, we still are looking to the internet for friends (with benefits or otherwise). While the idea that people might not be who they say they are is a less extreme issue, the idea of people using these apps to cheat on their significant others or unknowingly spreading STDs should be on everyone’s minds. While knowing if your friend with benefits is in a current relationship might be hard to decipher, being smart about STDs is something we can all do. Always be honest with your partner about what you might have, and always use protection against STDs even if they tell you they’re clean. That way it isn’t a surprise the next time you go to your OBGYN.
As long as you’re being safe, hook-up culture is great if you’re looking for short-term fun and a way to explore things you may be interested in. From personal experience, don’t go to dating apps looking for a serious relationship, they often aren’t what you’re looking for.