BOSTON – The "hookup culture" of casual intimacy on college campuses has been written about ad nauseam – is it good? Bad? Does it hurt women, or empower them? What about men? Is it simply a numbers game, prompted by a rise in the "supply" of women relative to men on college campuses?
But the term "hookup culture" leaves some college students (who are supposedly part of it) baffled.
Old-fashioned Valentine's Day traditions include cards, flowers, and going on dates. Today, a lot of single young adults might wonder what happened to this last tradition, as a culture of casual sexual encounters has largely replaced dating. This is a problem that's not just on manufactured holidays like Valentine's Day: Dating served an important role for society, and singles are suffering from its decline.
Traditional dating allows young adults to get to know one another, practice communication skills, and figure out if they are compatible before introducing the complicated emotions that come with getting physical. We hardly need a study to tell us something so obvious, but scientists have confirmed that when sexually aroused, both men and women make poorer decisions. Cooler jets lead to clearer thinking.
