Picture yourself in the 80s or 90s dating and meeting people. It is probably quite different from what we, as Gen-Z are used to. Can you imagine! A world without dating apps, Snapchat or Instagram. A place where to show someone you’re interested, you now like their story. Whether it’s for the best or worst, it was different for the Gen-X generation. 

Carole Six, now 50 and married for 25 years, was on the dating scene in the 80s/90s and having daughters now dating in the 2010s, discusses the differences between the two generations.

“To be honest, dating in the 80s and 90s wasn’t that different from what it is now. I mean obviously, we didn’t have the internet the way it is now, or dating apps. But it was still quite similar. 

“You met people at nightclubs, friends’ parties, house parties. At university, it was basically just those common places you could meet someone. I never liked that though, the idea of meeting someone at a party. I can’t have a proper conversation with them. But I know a few friends who have met their husbands that way”

Gen-Z evidently have the advantage of technology, with fast internet, facetime, imessages, and social media to stay in contact. Evidently, in the 80s, that wasn’t exactly the case.

“We would have to go to phone booths to make calls, or in student apartments, there were phones on every floor and you would give someone the number for that phone and when they would call, someone else would answer and they would then have to pass it on to you. It was long. “

“I suppose you could say it made staying in contact with people you met harder. Especially if you were long-distance.”

These challenges of dating back then don’t come up nowadays. If you don’t like someone,  you can’t just blame it on the internet. Hence the concept of ghosting or blocking. 

“I mean staying in contact could be quite difficult. In the 90s, things were already moving forward with technology. But it still wasn’t great. You didn’t have Skype on your personal phone yet. I would schedule dates on the apartments’ phones a few times per week. Or email was used as well. It is definitely a lot easier in this generation to stay in contact with dates, and partners.”

Other aspects of dating, like the qualities of people you date or your compatibility hasn’t necessarily changed. 

“Not specifically, like today it really depends on yourself. I have noticed, and maybe this is with the dating apps, people in your generation are very interested in being matched with people of the same interests, when in fact that really doesn’t have to be the case. Having the same interest doesn’t mean you’re gonna click as people and vice-versa.”