I’m sure that being a single 20 something has presented different challenges at different points in time, but it’s no cake walk in 2016. I mean, if you’re a big fan a promiscuity, this just might be your hay day, but for those of us with monogamous preferences and habits, the struggle has gotten realer and realer.
There really is no rush. But at the same time, there totally is. I’m only 22. I’m young, and I have my entire life ahead of me. The last thing I want to do at this defining point in my life is dedicate time or energy to someone who isn’t worth it. But at the same time, I’m only 22 for so long. Before I know it I’ll be getting invitations to weddings (who are we kidding; looking at pictures of weddings on Instagram because i have no friends and won’t be invited to any) and baby showers. And as much as the few friends I do have insist that they won’t let their relationships interfere with our booze-based way of life, sooner or later, most people get soft after a few months of commitment. The person you used to go shot for shot with gets tired after a glass and a half of red wine, and there’s truly nothing more tragic. It’s like watching a star die.
Long story short, I don’t want to be the last single friend when everyone’s pairing off like animals for the ark. I don’t want to wake up at 32 in a random guy’s apartment, living as the butt of my own joke like a poorer, more attractive version of Amy Schumer, while all my friends are planning vacations to Europe with their spouses. As much as I loved Samantha Jones, I don’t want to be the Samantha of my friend group.
And in an age where there’s an app for everything under the sun from correcting your sleep schedule to having beer delivered to your doorstep, you’d be an idiot not to give the online dating game a shot. Creeps and catfishes aside, it’s actually amazing how much a simple download can expand your pool of potential. Seriously; think about it. The average American knows 600 people, only half of whom they would date based on sexual orientation, and maybe a fifth of that half they are actually attracted to; never mind whether or not it’s mutual or they’re available. And suddenly hundreds of options that you never would have otherwise encountered are at your fingertips, no matter how much you may regret swiping right after the fact. The infinite possibility that Tinder and Bumble-like apps present is something to be taken advantage of. And as much as I doubt that the love of your life is a right-swipe away, the worst case scenario is probably a free drink and having one of your friends call you and pretend your house is on fire.
And fear of turning into a pathetic spinster aside, dating is fun. Instead of binge-watching friends and eating gelato straight out of the container, you could be less of a total loser, and actually interact with other human beings, whether or not there ends up being any “connection.” Millennials are all too eager to spend their entire day on a screen doing nothing valuable or productive when they could be using technology to actually…dare I say it…put on some real clothes and live their lives.
Btw, don’t believe the hype. Despite their reputations of degeneracy and raunchiness, there are plenty of guys on Tinder that know how to have conversations that don’t begin with in depth descriptions of bodily functions or reproductive organs.
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