by Haley VanderHaar & Julianna Washburn
February the fourteenth is well known as the day of love, or Valentine’s Day. This particular day of romance has become a popular topic of conversation among Millennials. However, teenagers seem to be taking a different approach, straying from formality, with casual and technological dating. Why does Valentine’s Day mean something different to Millennials than the rest of society?
“It’s not about money it’s about emotion and feeling,” said Kenzie Brown, Junior at Georgetown High School.
When it comes to Millennials, Valentine’s day might include a date as simple as a walk in the park, or a night of texting back and forth. Depending on the couple, a group date including friends could also be involved on the special day. This shift in the customs of dating has lead teens to believe they have created the idea of ‘casual dating’.
“I definitely feel like the casual approach is more common, and like a good, fancy dinner is nice, but if you can do something lowkey, for not a lot of money, and still have fun with it then that’s all that matters” Sarah Elston, Junior at Georgetown High school said.
Technology has overtaken today’s society, especially within relationships. Millennials today are dependent upon the ability to text or direct message a specific individual, in this case, their boyfriend or girlfriend. Texting play a large part in a relationship, as well as social media (instagram, snapchat, twitter, etc..). On Valentine’s Day, Millennials look to social media to share and compare their Valentine’s Day with their social media peers.
“To some extent, social media gives a certain standard to how Valentine’s Day should be,” said Jacob Sandoval, Senior at Georgetown High School.
Valentine’s Day is important in an emotional way in every teenager’s life, that’s why technology is essential, social media is addicting, and casual dating is a new sensation. It allows the individual to reach a new level of connection with their love interest. On this Valentine’s Day, love among teenagers will be displayed differently than generations prior.
The Millennial View is a regular feature giving readers a look at what the younger generation things about current topics. Haley and Julianna are students at Georgetown High School.