Netflix and Chill is Putting Hopeless Romantics Out of Business

Where my hopeless romantics’ at? This one’s for you…

Here’s what I know — Romance is SO 2002.

I’ll be the first to tell you — researchers will say, “Correlation doesn’t imply causation”; but all I know is when hookups came in style, relationships went out faster than shoulder pads. Coincidence? Doubt it. So I guess this is where I stand, when did we begin to desire a “hook-up” more than a fulfilling relationship? I’m asking for a friend.

In writing this post, I was thinkin’ A LOT about hook up culture and what that really adds and takes away from our desire to pursue a relationship with another individual. Is it the unwanted accountability of relationships or the wanted accessibility of a hook-up that makes relationships not really needed into todays day and age? Here’s what I came up with. (Spoiler alert — it’s both.)

Let me break it down…

We do not try anymore because we don’t have to (and I’m not just talking about relationships). Let’s think about this. We no longer have to remember where our friend’s live because why would we — we have a GPS. We no longer open a book when we have a research paper due because at the disposal of our fingertips we have enough information than we could ever know what to do with. And sadly, we no longer have to pursue a relationship because we have found a way to reap the benefits of being in a relationship without a commitment.

Let’s focus on the word commitment for a minute — positive or negative connotation? Because our generation is avoiding it like the plague. Don’t believe me? Have you been to 28th street on a Friday night? Enough said.

We lost commitment when we lost our virtue of patience.

I say that because we don’t take the time to work towards building a healthy relationship with another person because it is far too “time consuming.” And let’s face it, it doesn’t really seem like we desire it any longer. Building a romantic relationship is surprisingly a lot like building a house. First and foremost, the framework of the house (or the foundation of the relationship) is essential for a long lasting relationship. The best way to distinguish between a “hook-up” and a “relationship” is the way they started. Did you meet them at a party or did you meet them spontaneously in the produce section of the grocery store? This is important. First impressions are crucial, even more so in meeting a potential partner.

Here’s the problem….

We are starting our relationships on an uphill battle. Our generation wants to start building the house from the roof. Nowadays, we are trying to create relationships from a one-night stand. Or even worst, we are trying to swipe our way into a relationship…and I’m here to tell you swiping right has not been a good time.

So here’s the take away…

Netflix and Chill was probably the worst thing that could have happened to us hopeless romantics. But the romance game isn’t over. Wanna play? Askin’ for a friend.