The changing ideas of romance and relationship: A modern saga of love

“Love” – What does that mean anyway? Is it just another pop-culture reference for the Millenials? A word that the Gen-Z uses just for aesthetics? Guess, the modern definition of love is “no definition”. It differs from person to person, you could say. But how do we find “the one” to spend the rest of our lives with if that’s the case? The modern outlook on relationships has helped discover new ways of falling in love, but the idea of love remains the same through ages.

The rituals of courtship have evolved drastically through the ages. What is considered romantic today would have been scandalous, if not criminal, less than 100 years ago, and that’s how we grow, don’t we?

Did you know? A man and a woman meeting in public was the best way to have some privacy. Before dating, courtship involved suitors calling on prospective partners in the family home. And since dating apps and “free will” were not yet a thing, it meant that all eyes and ears were close by.

Dating and Courtship then:

Although arranged marriage has always been the first option, people were getting a hold of what dating means in the early 90s. It was either someone from the same family or just some random advertisements. Some families got creative and went for swayamvars and family functions to find a potential partner. The partners would get to know each other through this process but some wouldn’t even get a glance until the big day. It wasn’t always possible for families to find a compatible person, which led to extended family members or friends recommending a match. 

One of the first ways courting couples separated by distance could connect was through love letters and this perhaps explains why poetry was so popular in centuries gone by. The connection between that early letter writing can be seen with social media and WhatsApp communication courting today. Now, there is a shorter time to wait for a reply to romantically written sentiments, but more pressure for a quicker reply.

Dating and Courtship now:

The world of love has undergone a transformation and the rules of dating and relationships are no longer the same. With the rise of social media and dating apps, people have changed the way they choose their partners and reconsidered the things they look for in an ideal companion. Money, power, and looks? Not so much. Respect, equality, and kindness? Now, we’re talking!

Social networking apps have started dedicating themselves to empowering women to make the first move in dating, friendship, and business. They are found on the principles of respect, kindness, equality, and accountability.

When we sat down to understand modern love from the Millenials and Gen-Z, their choices, and how they have come to cherish equality in their relationships, we found that now people are more vocal about a person’s will to date or not to date. They are more open about their personal lives in a way that inspires people. Things have not gone upside down when it comes to marriage. Slowly but surely things are changing and our ancestors are getting a strong hang of it.

This has also become the perfect business opportunity for romantic entrepreneurs to charge singletons for finding the right match. This single person going door-to-door trying to connect people would later evolve to apps like Tinder and Bumble, where singles have multiple choices.