Love in the Time of Snapchat: The Rules of Dating Then and Now

Once upon a time, if you wanted to have a love life, you had to do many things. Including actually getting out of the house, making people mixtapes, waiting for replies to letters and emails, and so on. But then came the smartphone, and took over the world. And why on earth would your love life be spared? Here are our observations on how the rules of dating have changed ever since apps invaded our lives…

1. Meeting Someone New

Then: Parties had to be religiously attended. Because how else would you meet potentials?

Now: Why bother when you can Get Vee?

2. Planning Your Rendezvous

Then: Waiting till your family’s gone to bed before tiptoeing to the landline so you can figure out the most discreet place to meet.

Now: Setting up a booty call on WhatsApp while sitting at a team meeting in office.

3. Those Precious Dates

Then: The morning after was just as important – how could you decide if it was a good date until you’d dissected it with all your friends?

Now: It’s not real until you Instagram it.

4. The Missing-Longing Phase

Then: Looking out of the window, thinking: “I hope he’s missing me…”

Now: Obsessing over why he hasn’t replied to your message despite it being “seen” on Facebook Messenger.

5. Photo-Documenting Your Romance

Then: Waiting eagerly for someone with a camera (and film to spare) to click a picture of the two of you together.

Now: “Couplies” are an actual thing.

6. The I-Want-You-NOW Wait

Then: You’d wait for days, or weeks, or months (if it was a long-distance relationship) for some “alone time”.

Now: You get by with a little help from Snapchat. 😉

7. The 4 a.m. Fight with Your Partner

Then: Both of you lying in bed, wide awake, waiting for the other person to make the first move.

Now: Hoping he’s fallen asleep so you can take start texting your friends about it.

8. Becoming “Exclusive”

Then: You’d make promises…

Now: You uninstall Tinder.

9. Declaring Your Love

Then: You actually had to say those three words.

Now: There’s a reason they invented “heart” emojis.

10. The Break-Up

Then: Wondering how to tell your friends the sad (or not-so-sad) news.

Now: Worrying how many of his friends are going to now be forwarded the less-than-discreet pictures you’d sent him.

GIFs: Giphy, Tumblr

MUST-READ: Sexting Mistakes You Are Making Right Now

MUST-READ: #FBAddict: 20 Signs You Are a Facebook Stalker