Tips and Tricks: Dating for Millennials
By: Joan Wangari
Posted on Thursday, August 27, 2020
Millennials have been described by society as a generation of chaotic people that lack basic life skills. This group of people have been faced by many challenges that are a result of being born in the middle of a technological revolution. Their relationships, daily lives and practices have been greatly influenced by technology. People in older generations have constantly described millennials as a generation that is so entitled and lacks commitment. Millennials have had a difficult time in the dating scene. Their lack of communication and interpersonal skills have made their interactions with other people strained.
Speaking on Full Circle with Joyce, Benjamin Zulu, a counselling psychologist tackled the dating experience of millennials. Benjamin pointed out that the parenting of the Millennials has also affected how their relationships are structured. Some millennials were born by baby boomers while others were born by generation X. Baby boomers are people in their early 50s up to 70s while, generation X is a generation from ages 37-51. The life experiences of their parents shaped their habits and characters irreversibly. Their parents were seekers of freedom and once they gave birth, they were quick to grant their children the freedom. Millennials enjoy financial and social freedom.
Benjamin brought to light the fact that millennials heavily rely on technology to communicate their feelings and thoughts. According to Zulu, millennials prefer this because they can choose their words. Millennials have a tough time expressing themselves and they are cautious not to say the wrong things. Millennials end their relationships by ghosting their significant other. Millennials do not like owning up to the mistakes they make while dating and hence prefer to exit in that way. They would rather start a new relationship rather than work on the failing relationship.
This generation prefer being sexually intimate before getting married. Zulu says that they are experimenting their sexual compatibility. Millennials do not understand that the repercussions of having sex before marriage. It opens up the door for infidelity in marriage and people tend to get distracted by the previous experiences.
While dating a millennial can be hard work, millennials are fun loving people and open to new experiences. Millennials are focused and know what they want in life. They are goal oriented and flexible.
No matter the generation you are from, dating requires work. While this may not be a manual to dating a millennial, it may help understand millennials and how their minds are wired around matters of the heart.
