As someone who has had little to no success in her dating life in college, what I find most frustrating, and most obvious, is that men are setting all the rules.

I began my college career in a long-term relationship that started in high school. When that fizzled, I found myself in a bit of a culture shock when re-entering the dating pool. It became clear quickly that I didn’t have a clue what I was doing.

The hookup and dating culture on college campuses has shifted in recent years in some ways, but in others it’s largely stayed the same throughout generations.

What I hadn’t realized is that it’s no longer the norm to have romantic feelings for a sexual partner. In fact, people actually go out of their way to disprove any emotional attachments to their partners. According to Lisa Wade, a sociologist at Occidental College, people will often compete to prove that they care even less then the person they are having sex with.

Not only is it no longer a part of sexual normalcy to maintain romantic feelings for a partner, but it is often the case that it can be one of the biggest violations of social standards. The University of Minnesota isn’t immune to these cultural shifts; in fact, we have in some ways epitomized them. The constant athletic scandals, from the football players who allegedly had sex with just one woman to the numerous charges that have piled up against Reggie Lynch, prove a general lack of respect for sexual partners. This has been broadly accepted by many students. It’s expected.

Read the whole story at the Minnesota Daily.

 

 

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