Before going to college we have this idea in our heads about what it’ll be like and it usually coincides with the way that the movies portray it; constant partying, sorority girls and fraternity boys everywhere you look, and doing whatever you want all the time to exploit your newfound freedom from parental guidance, but none of these stereotypes are really that true (I can’t say they’re not true at all because I only go to one college and I’m only one person.). One major misconception that most all people have when first entering college is that everyone is hooking up because casual sex is the new networking or something along those lines, but I can honestly tell you that this is not true. In fact, most all of the people that I have personally spoken to are not “getting any” which was not exactly what they expected.
(Source: Tumblr, from the film American Pie)
Hookup culture seems to be exclusive to millennials (or at least more defined) as the generations that came before us were relationship oriented and that had a lot to do with the enforcement of gender roles, especially upon women, and the values that were held at the time. Recently, our generation has seen a boom of social media and accessibility to dating sites and apps like Tinder and Grindr or even eHarmony which makes hooking up that much easier as well as making seem even more like everyone is participating in it. It seems like little to no people are looking for a relationship in college, but rather just a quick fling to achieve some type of affection from someone other than themselves and that’s not necessarily a bad thing; it’s an extension of the independence this generation has, but can be a bit of a downer if you’re looking for a serious relationship.
As a freshman coming from a relatively small town where casual hookups were an outlier in a sea of long-term relationships, hooking up was always an interesting topic to me because it seemed so taboo. Upon entering college it wasn’t exactly on my mind as much as it had been in the past due to being constantly busy with work and academics, but recently it’s been brought to my attention that none of my friends have really hooked up with anyone in the two months that we’ve been here and weren’t looking to any time soon. You can even go on Yik Yak and see how many people aren’t getting laid and I think that’s enough evidence to say that hooking up isn’t as prevalent as anyone initially thinks it is, but it’s definitely still there.
So for anyone who’s on the fence about participating in a hookup, be it in a drunken stupor or for future reference, I say that there’s no reason not to (unless of course, you don’t want to, that is and should be reason enough for anyone)! Hooking up can be fun, just make sure that you’re doing it for yourself, are safe about it, and know what you’re getting yourself into!
Some articles to read:
32 College Students Get Real About Sex on Campus
Should You Participate in Hookup Culture