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In fact, looking back, alothas changed in the world of dating over the course of history.
Historically speaking, dating has changed in many, many ways over the centuries.
Gone are the days of forced couplings, medieval jousting, and antiquated courtships.
In today’s world of dating, it’s an equal playing field, for the most part.
But years and years ago, that wasn’t the case.
So, let’s take a look back at all the ways dating has changed throughout history.
That said, there weren’t a lot of sparks flying back in ancient times.
The concept of love wasn’t especially important to people during this time.
Clearly, it was important for people to weigh the pros and cons before marrying.
Clearly, Austen was on to something.
Courtship became commonplace in the 18th century
Throughout the 18th century, courtships were still frequent.
However, women began to assert more power over their love lives as time went on.
Basically, courting was starting to become more fun more like today’s dating rather than just an obligation.
However, marrying for power, money, and land still mattered.
After that, women dating eligible bachelors became increasingly common.
Such was the case with prohibition, which wasn’t exactly surprising.
Even if it wasillegalfun.
With war looming overhead, the 1940s and 1950s saw people settling into relationships quickly and thoughtfully.
Because of this, the concept of “going steady” also grew in popularity.
As noted byHistory.com, the 1960s were huge for women in America.
Additionally, the birth control pill was approved for contraceptive use in 1960.
Dating could be totally casual, something different than the formal courtships of the past.
Instead, they went out to bars to find dates.
Think of the ever-popular sitcomFriends,and you have a perfect example of how people dated in the ’90s.
There were coffee shop meet-ups, blind dates, and, well, lower expectations.
As noted byThe Washington Post,“In the 1990s, you couldn’t Google someone you just met.
You hadn’t already read their social media.
The paper added, “You literally got to meet people face to face.”
All those lowered expectations meant that dating in the 1990s could be more relaxed and spontaneous.
They may also “hook-up,” though what that meant exactly varied depending on location.
In the 2000s and 2010s, the concept of dating kind of went out of style.
Things became more relaxed, and labels were rejected.
Internet dating is still popular, but dating apps likeTinder, Bumble, and Hinge are all the rage.
Fortunately, all of the stigma surrounding online dating has pretty much vanished.
Who knows what the next few centuries will have in store!
