As Valentine’s Day starts to approach, people begin to gain courage to confess their love and adoration to their loved ones. On the other side, people are desperately begging others to be their valentine just for the aesthetic of having one. In the world that I see today, people aren’t as into love as the movies portray. Actually, it seems to be quite the opposite.
Romance, as it is shown in media, is gone. The slow burns and the passionate dances, the soft and gentle kisses on rings that we all have learned to love and admire have vanished from today’s world. Love is not as beautiful as it is romanticized in fictional pieces of media anymore. Technology has made it so relationships can be found quicker and easier.
But is the speed and effortlessness of love truly worth it in the end?
Love is something that you find by chance; it can never be forced. Fleeting relationships are built off of this idea that you find someone by chance and a relationship kindles just from being yourself. Giving chocolates, teddy bears, and flowers to your special someone isn’t as common anymore; most relationships are built and maintained for public appearances rather than the deep connections of adoration that the couple have for each other. Instead of being a private and intimate fulfillment, its seen as something commercialized and romanticized for profit.
Unfortunately, swipe-right culture is everywhere you look.
The contents of a relationship is not for the experiences of maturing within the throes of love anymore; people seem to only expect and yearn for the instant gratification and aesthetics of a relationship instead of the experience and benefits that come with truly being fond of another person.
Confessions of love via text, sending videos that hint towards a sign of affection, and spamming pictures on one’s story isn’t love.
It’s a public and inefficient way to declare a relationship.
Beneath these intentions of trying to find love is one very prominent factor: desperation. So many people are afraid of being alone and bored that they find a relationship to entertain them for a short while.
The concept of love loses its weight and its significance, only being met with dread and frustration with people who have had their feelings hurt due to this corruption. The phrase “I love you” is spoken far too soon, losing its meaning of deep affection and being replaced with something that confirms a relationship is happening between two people.
With the loss of the true meaning of love, people have lower standards. Acts of chivalry are seen as something that is rare to have in a relationship—in more recent times, people end up cheating on their partners and not truly appreciating their presence. Relationships end up being parasitic instead of mutualistic, and both people get hurt in the end.
What’s the moral of the story? The act of pursuing a relationship to fill that empty void isn’t going to satisfy anyone. If you want love that is pure and true, find it with someone through affection and care for each other, and not through lustful encounters formed through desperate measures.
