College kids are convinced Snapchat is ruining their love lives: 'We need to start dating again'

The Odyssey

In the same publication that discovered and defined "the dad bod," a new essay about the love lives (or lack thereof) of college students and high schoolers is becoming the new anthem for the romantically frustrated.

"Why We Need To Start Dating Again," written by Eileen Curran back in May on The Odyssey, is an array of complaints about human behavior in the digital age.

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"Snapchats and Instagram 'likes' have become acceptable forms of flirting. A 'like' on Instagram is way more common than a compliment in real life," she writes. "Date night has evolved from going out to dinner, playing putt-putt (a completely underrated pastime in my opinion) or doing anything relatively thoughtful, to watching Netflix and maybe ordering a pizza."

You can almost hear the thundering cheers after each of Curran's issues with life in the time of Snapchat.

What do we want? Real dates!

When do we want them? Now!

Daniel Goodman / Business Insider

"A girl doesn't want to commit to the guy she 'has a thing' with," she explains, "but she gets mad when she sees that he is liking other girls photos on Instagram!"

The essay has found its way into the hands of Teen Twitter, a massive conglomerate of Twitter accounts like @girlnotes and @relationships that tweet diary-like blips like this:

 Now, Curran's diatribe has become something to emoji prayer hands about:

Thousands have retweeted and favorited the article, which was shared via three photos of the original article (not fair use, FYI!)

And people have very strong feelings about it:

People are dying to bring the art of the date back!

"Instead of sending a Snapchat to that person you have your eye on, why not ask them out on a real date? I get it. It's scary," Curran writes.

Some people related to the essay and were inspired to take their personal gripes to Twitter. 

She's really sold on the idea that Instagram and Snapchat are ruining the dating experience:

It seems like no one is actually dating anymore. Everyone is "talking" or "has a thing with someone" or is "kind of dating" that one guy from bio lab. No one wants the commitment of a real relationship, but they don't want to be alone, either. A guy won't take the girl he's "talking to" on an actual date, but when he sees that her best friend on Snapchat is another guy, he freaks out.

But the lack of college dating isn't new. Snapchat and Instagram didn't exist in my age of flip phones on campus, but romance was still scarce. It's four years where people are more likely to hook up at a party before getting to know each other instead of going out to a proper dinner (what dining hall is the fanciest?) and Curran's missive confirms human behavior isn't changing, we just have new technology to blame.