Think the date is dead? Think again. Then, we talked to real college students about their own preferences when it comes to dating and hook-up culture. Like for all students, being seen as popular is still widely associated with being part of a party scene, and a lot of the young people we spoke to felt alienated by this sentiment. Here's what our interviewees had to say:.
Everyone I dated β excuse me, hooked up with β wanted one thing: fun. No sit-down-and-split-the-bill dates, no cuddling in a twin-sized bed, no wearing each other's sweatshirts. Just brainless and simple fun, always fueled by one-too-many stiff drinks and a casual message on Tinder.
Needless to say I cannot wait until I graduate and move into a closet-sized apartment in a big city β a real city, sorry Iowa β where the number of gay men rivals the number of Starbucks. I like going to bars and clubs with friends, but the majority of the people you meet in a bar want something more casual.
In terms of sexuality, the generation younger than me is way more open, and the older generation is still more closeted. These younger guys were the ones they liked in college, so now they pursue people who they have sentimental feelings for. Most of my hooking up experiences have been with male-identifying people, so I often find myself trying to hype up my [limited] experiences with women or with other queer people.
Even within the queer community, biphobia is a thing. I definitely will only date people who are female or non-binary, like me. A lot of people go to events like Pub Night every Thursday, which tends to be a really queer event. We also have to deal with social things, too. That actually happened with my last girlfriend, before I was identifying as trans. We both looked like girls and we still got harassed.
