Has Technology Ruined Traditional Romance?

What would life be like for Cupid in this modern age? Do you think that with smartphones and all these dating apps we have, Cupid has lost his desire to bring lovers together the old-fashioned way? What if I’m Cupid in the flesh and as a mortal? Because I’ll tell you, the last time I was sitting in front of my laptop, I banged my elbow against the table in public… and it hurt. Of course, I was trying not to show any emotion but I’m sure the girl sitting across from me noticed but continued on with her work. Why did I even bring this up? … I really don’t know, but let’s move on!

How Has Dating Changed?

It wasn’t so long ago before the dynamic of dating became what we now know it as: mostly through dating apps. Since the idea of smartphones came into fruition, that changed the entire game. But how so? Is it because almost everything is at such a convenience? If so, maybe that’s just a reason to describe us better. I like to consider myself like the cowardly lion in The Wizard of Oz: no courage. Maybe it’s not just me, as in there are a favorable amount of others that are the same way. But when we have our phones, who knows what we’re capable of? One thing I know for sure, we’re gifted with the creation of art. The amazing things that have been done or said just by having a phone in the palm of our hands. That right there gives us the courage we need to make something beautiful and memorable for others to see.

With this, it could be another reason why dating apps are so convenient. Some people have a way with words that could swoon others leading to love. I’m no poet, but someday maybe. Who knows? Let’s just hope they don’t take advantage of it in ways that leads to broken hearts. Unlike myself, I was never good at using dating apps considering there’s actually a lot of steps that are involved. Like how I’m not much of a picture person (which I’m working on) or let alone, taking selfies. Then there’s my bio with what I’d like others to know about myself where I’m making sure I’m not coming off as too creepy… or not creepy enough? Haha, I really don’t know. Some people have some interesting fetishes in this world, and hey, I’m not judging.

Maybe that’s why I have a higher tendency to have more work crushes in my life. Apps don’t work, I am not the type to go to bars to meet women, so what does that leave me with? Well, I did mention how I could be Cupid himself. My birthday is only 2 days apart from Valentine’s Day and I like to consider the month of February the month of love. Even with all of this, I do start to wonder… maybe I’m just not in a place or time in my life right now for love. It’s not like I’m looking or really trying. However, with that, love seems to find me and I believe it likes to see my reaction. Like how I stumble over my words quite often when I’m nervous around someone I like. That or being clueless to the signs that are being sent my way.

Nothing against those who found their loved ones/companions from these apps, because now it’s become the new normal. And even if that’s not how you met, there are other ways of communicating with someone we’re interested in just from our phones altogether. When it comes to love, obviously somethings working. In just the last couple of decades, Earth’s population went from 6 billion to 8 billion. There’s a whole lot of love going on in this world, and maybe that’s why Cupid decided it was easier to stick with apps. He ran out of arrows!

Imagine Our World Today, Without the Internet

For starters, I’m not saying we had the internet and now it’s gone. It’s 2023 and the internet just never existed. What kind of world would we live in? Where would we be with our technology now? The post office may be a great place to have a career, with all the handwritten letters we would write to each other, of course, unless you have a typewriter. But what does that mean when it comes to cell phones? Or smartphones as we call it. Would texting be a thing? Does that actually require the internet to send messages? I honestly really don’t know. But yes, there are so many questions to ask, so let’s just at least start with putting together my hypothesis and see where that takes us.

Plain and simple, the internet made our lives… lazier. Yes, many, many things were easier. But we got lazy with how easy it made things. And with how much we utilized it to where it is today, it also took away what once was valuable to us. Obviously, I wouldn’t be able to make any sense of it all with my blog without the internet, but we would all be living different lives. Most people would freak out if the internet shut down for even just a day. As long as electricity still worked, I would be just fine. That’s just one of the many reasons why I like to collect hard copies of movies & TV shows on blu ray and DVD. And if the power went out for just as long (or longer), I would look for sticks on the ground that looked like guns to play cops & robbers… I’m not sure where I’m going with this anymore. But I digress.

There’s plenty more of what I can say about having internet or not, but one thing we should all at least cherish, the things that made us happy without being obvious. The era that I grew up in involved going to a friend’s place to see if they were home and wanted to hang out. Or using a landline house phone and having to talk to someone else to reach the person you’re trying to talk to. And this one may be a bit of a reach or it’s just me, but neighbors you actually talk to and befriend.

At the end of the day, we live in the world we live in. Sometimes, it’s not much, but it could also be spectacular. You never know what you’re going to get. Isn’t that part of a quote from Forest Gump?