Imagine taking someone from the 1990s and dropping them straight into today’s dating world. They’d probably think half of it was science fiction. Dating is almost entirely digital, with phones replacing phone calls and emojis replacing words. Even the concept of breaking up has new formats. Here are 10 modern dating norms that would confuse a ‘90s romantic.
Ghosting as an exit
A lot of people don’t bother telling the other person that they’re not interested in the relationship anymore. They simply disappear. You could be talking nonstop one day, but the next day, it’s nothing. Ghosting has become completely normal, and someone from the ‘90s would’ve at least left a voicemail or an awkward excuse. But silence says it all these days.
Soft and hard launches
Simply announcing relationships is so 1990. Nowadays, people either soft-launch or hard-launch them. A soft launch might involve sharing a photo on social media of two drinks. A hard launch involves tagging names so that everyone knows. In the ‘90s, people would tell their friends about their new relationship directly at lunch, rather than teasing their entire social feed.
Situationships
So many people date without calling it dating, claiming that it’s neither friendship nor commitment. It’s simply “something.” When it’s time to define it, they might ask over text, but then talk about it to other people as being merely a “situationship” or something similar. Someone from the ‘90s would rather things be direct. Are we dating, or not?
Text-first communication
Hardly anyone calls anymore, and texting rules everything. You’re more likely to send a message to make plans or flirt, rather than call someone about it. In fact, it’s weird to call without warning. But people in the ‘90s would wait by the phone and hope that it’d ring. The world of typing bubbles and read receipts didn’t exist back then.
ENM and polyamory in bios
You’ll see acronyms like ENM (ethically non-monogamous) or comments that someone is “poly” on dating profiles. Some apps also have checkboxes for people to share their relationship style. Such upfront honesty about multiple partners would’ve surprised people in the ‘90s, and they’d be shocked to see how open some people are about their relationship preferences.
Pronouns, badges, and profile stickers
That’s not all for dating profiles. They also show pronouns and vaccination badges, as well as pet icons and Spotify tracks. Essentially, those digital stickers will tell your story in a way that words never could. It’s quite different from the ‘90s. Back then, all you had was “single” or “taken,” which you had to explain with actual words.
Talking every day but never meeting
People can text nonstop for months. Yet somehow, they never get around to actually meeting, and they’ll instead swap memes or send playlists without making any proper plans. Both people drift into a comfortable limbo where nobody’s upset or ready to end it. The idea of having such a distant “relationship” would be weird to people from the ‘90s.
Remote hangouts as real dates
Likewise, video dates have become something that people count as being real. It’s completely normal for a couple to plan virtual dinners or send each other food through apps while chatting online. Time zones don’t stop them, either. Anyone from the ‘90s would find it hilarious that people call a webcam dinner a date.
Breakup rebranding on social media
The majority of couples don’t make an announcement after a split. They’ll choose to redo their online lives instead by making posts about couples disappear and changing usernames. Friends notice before anyone says a word. However, a breakup was private in the ‘90s. It only went public when you told people directly, but these days, the timeline tells the story for you.
Social media boundaries with exes and thirst content
Couples often discuss social media rules before things get serious. These could involve muting exes or skipping flirty comments. They might also demand that the other partner not post overly revealing photos. For someone from the ‘90s, the idea of setting digital flirting limits would sound absurd. They didn’t even have digital flirting zones to begin with.
18 Things Emotionally Mature Couples Never Do
Here’s the best part: it isn’t about what they do but what they won’t do. So, how does an emotionally mature couple keep their love intact? Here are 18 habits they avoid like the plague – and trust me, some of these might hit uncomfortably close to home.
18 Things Emotionally Mature Couples Never Do