Does dating feel like a task to you? Much like this author, if you also experience jitters and anxiety when anyone suggests, "Go on a date, meet a nice person," congratulations, because you can blame dating apps for it.
According to an August 2020 Pew Research Center report, almost half of the adults surveyed in the US reported that dating had gotten more challenging in the last 10 years. But who is responsible for it? The environment? Politics? Modern lifestyle that flourishes on fatigue?
Dr Sid Warrier, a Mumbai-based neurologist, says that you should thank dating applications. Once these applications brought people closer and allowed them to connect with prospects online. Instead of playing 'Have you met Ted? (How I Met Your Mother),' you could scroll through their listed interests, see their profiles, and swipe left and right, depending on whether you liked them or not.
While these apps were introduced to revolutionise the dating world, they are also among the primary reasons why dating feels harder now than it used to be.
Why Dating Is Hard Today
In an Instagram video, Dr Warrier explained, "Is dating harder now than it was before? I think so. Because of two reasons. When two people start dating, both of their brains have to be convinced of two things. A - that this person is good for me and B - that there's no one else better."
He explained that for a person to think that their partner is good for them, they need to invest time. Despite the listed interests on a dating website, two people need to spend time together to get to know their partner and all their flags, including red, green, yellow, and beige. "In the modern world, time is not something that people tend to give a lot," added the neurologist.
For the second part of the problem, the expert explained that people have multiple choices at their fingertips. Even when two people are dating each other, they cannot shake the feeling that there might be someone better out there. "Dating apps are structured (like that), there's always a choice. There's always somebody else that you can check," Dr Warrier noted.
Dopamine Rush = Short-Term Infatuation
"From a neuroscience perspective, a new relationship has the same addictive potential as cocaine. But as the novelty wears off, a relationship feels more like a work-out than a party drug," wrote Dr Warrier.
FRIENDS fanatics would understand. When Monica was getting married to Chandler, she freaked out and shared with Phoebe that she would never have her first kiss or go on a date with anyone new. Her anxiety was on point because the initial phase of dating is nothing short of addiction.
But if there is a problem, there is a solution, too. Dr Warrier added, "So the only way a relationship can work is if two people commit to working it out with the same consistency and intensity for enough time, until the gains start showing."
"The 'commitment' in a relationship isn't really to each other, it is more to the process," he shared.
Irrespective of where you met your partner: a club, office, park, trip, or online - you must be willing to commit to them 100% and navigate the relationship without second thoughts. And anyway, commitment became cool again in 2025. It is a trend worth continuing in 2026, too.
Also Read | Online Dating Is Influencing Women To Opt For Cosmetic Surgery, Reveals A Study
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