75. The History of Dating: Part II

Source: Power of Positivity

The first decade in the 20th century was characterized by the figure of the gentleman caller who would follow proper protocols. If a young man was interested in young women, he would come to the family’s home to persuade the elders. However, this system was discouraged. By this time, couples had started going out dates and this brought about a significant shift in the relationship dynamics. It was now a man’s duty to pay for a date, unlike before, when the woman decided the terms of the visit. Dating now had fewer structures, with little protocols. This was the time when relationships became more personal and less family-oriented.

Pretty soon, placing a personal ad had become immensely popular. Even so, the morality of such ads was widely debated in society. In fact, ads were no longer used to find merely spouses but also to look for companionship. Homosexual men and women used codes in personal ads to look for likeminded people. Some people posed as someone else in an attempt to scam or rob people, just like the 21st century! 

With this, the idea of “falling in love” became immensely popular. The focus was now on falling in love, rather than finding a match that the society will approve. There was an increased desire for romance and love, much more than committing to marriage. Love letters became immensely popular in this era and were now part of the popular young culture. There were no rules for dating anymore.

A turning point in dating started with the introduction of matchmaking services and of course, the internet. The earliest examples of a dating site is the “Operation Match” created by two Harvard students in 1965 to make dating easier for young people. In 1995, Match.com was officially founded. Pretty soon, with the onslaught of digitalization, we have apps such as Tinder, Hinge and Bumble dominating the dating landscape. Technology has made everything easier. Indeed, dating today is at the tips of your fingers!