Let’s dive your toes into nostalgia for old good times. Imagine that online dating just popped up yesterday. With apps swiping left and right, you’d think the whole dating game just got invented. But hold your horses—what if we told you that many of these so-called “brand new” trends have been kicking around since your great-great-grandma’s time? That’s right!
We’re about to ride back to see how your dating woes and wins are nothing but a repeat of history. So, if you’re old enough – it will be a nostalgic ride. It will be a bit of a history lesson if you’re young.
Long-Distance Relationships
Long before you could slide into someone’s DM, folks were still catching feelings from miles away. Think about it. Men and women separated by wars with nothing but letters to keep the flame alive.
Or imagine being in an arranged marriage where your boo is across the ocean, and all you’ve got are some fancy words on paper. Fast forward to now, and we’re whining about bad Wi-Fi during a video call. Hell! We’re spoiled! But the essence?
The struggle of longing and waiting has been fundamental for centuries; only the tech has changed. Written words on the paper turned into digital messages. Long (and entirely not cheap) phone calls now can vary from calls using Wi-Fi or mobile operators. And face-to-face meetups, well, yes, video calls.
Sugar Dating
And technologies have changed aspects of long-distance relationships. But what was in trend when wealthy men and women were dating youngsters, giving them gifts and money for love? Let’s get into some juicy stuff. Sugar dating? You might think this is some modern stuff, but it’s as old as the first steam engine. No, probably even older.
Back then, we had courtesans in fancy European courts and rich dudes keeping mistresses like it was a hobby. But the funniest thing that probably really changed one fact is women. Sugar daddies with females, yes, yes. But we’re not sexists here. Some rich women also used to sleep with young beauties.
Dating sites with sugar baby female looking for sugar momma are now just legal and very popular. So, the game always was the same: companionship for cash or goodies. Nowadays, there are websites for this purpose, making it easier to find your match without hanging around the king’s court: old wine, new bottle, folks.
Tailored Matchmaking
Have you ever heard of a little thing called arranged marriage? Yeah, that was the OG Tinder. Families playing matchmaking, making sure their kids got hitched to the “right” people. Whether it was about keeping wealth in the family or matching horoscopes, it was all about the perfect setup.
One plus, though, is that ancient humans used to say who they were looking for straight in your face. Well, straight in your face, reading ancient personals in the New York Times. Now, you’re just writing it in your online profile. Today, we’ve got algorithms doing the dirty work, crunching your likes, dislikes, and whatnot to find your “perfect match.”
Spoiler alert: It’s the same old song and dance with more math involved. However, what do you think? Who has more chances to find your compatibility, a palm reader or an AI machine? Both use the same strategy – using things you share about yourself. Funny, isn’t it?
Age-Gap Couples
This one’s always a hot topic: age-gap love. Historically, it was standard fare, especially among the high and mighty, for strategic alliances or securing the bag. Your local farmer, Joe, might have been 30 years older than his bride, and nobody cares. Then came the period when it was weird for some people. And it’s okay because those girls didn’t have a choice.
Online dating has made it a breeze for May-December relationships to take off. Sure, there’s more chatter about it now, but it’s hardly a new chapter in the book of love. And who cares if both sides are happy?
Conclusion
So, what have we learned from our little history lesson? The heart wants what it wants, and it’s been that way since the dawn of time. Whether we’re pining over a letter, negotiating sugar relationships, getting matches, or lustrating an age-gap love.
It’s all been done before. It has always been in trend. The main things online dating sites have changed are technical aspects, acceptance by society, and business. We move forward, but we keep our old stuff and improve it with the speed of a race car. That’s what is called progress.
Looking back, we can move forward with more understanding and maybe a little less stress about the “new” trends in our dating lives.
