Dating used to involve this imaginary sort of set of rules people followed. There was a way things were done and everyone just sort of accepted it and did what they were supposed to do. But times have changed and a lot of those rules are ancient history now.
BuzzFeed asked readers to share the old school dating habits that used to be standard but have been phased out over time and this is what they had to say.
- "I like that men don't give flowers or gifts early on anymore. Between that and a guy paying for the meal, I've been made to feel like I 'owe' him something in return. I'd much rather skip the flowers and pay my own way."
- "Picking me up from my house on a first or second date! I don't know you!"
- "Rules and timelines in general. I think half of the reason why dates go so d*mn badly is because people are too nervous that they will say the wrong thing at the wrong time, want a kiss 'too soon,' or do something 'too early.' CALM. IT. DOWN. We're so caught up in not breaking rules that we look like total stick-up-the-butt downers!"
- "We used to use friends and social circles to vet dates. Now, we have their online details to find out about them. There is more information online, so we do our own screenings."
- "This might be cliché, but for me personally, it's waiting for a man to ask me out first, waiting for the man to propose first. "When I met my husband, I immediately felt our connection and I asked him out first. Then, after three months of dating (two months in person and one month long distance), I asked him to marry me through a text. I’m just so glad that in this day and age this is not only becoming more and more accepted, but expected."
- "Asking for a phone number. Nowadays, people just ask for your socials, which I actually prefer!"
- "The 'don't double text' rule. It's fine to text someone twice if you want to talk to them."
- "Blind dates or being set up on a date in general. I mentioned the conversation to a couple of different friends and they agreed it just wasn’t really a thing anymore."
Source: BuzzFeed