Hey everyone! Today, I would like to address an issue that is very common among people my age: dating.

Dating is a custom that has almost fallen by the wayside since the advent of technology. Social media such as Facebook is invasive to relationships, and the rise of the smartphone and texting as a method of communication has changed the way we interact in the dating field.

Originally, the development of relationships followed a general pattern:

1) Dating (a variety of activities with a variety of people).
2) Courtship (literally a trial relationship of steady interaction with one person).
3) Engagement, beginning with a proposal of marriage and spent in preparation for a wedding.
4) Marriage.

Now, however, dating a variety of people is for the most part uncommon, with people preferring to skip straight to courtship, now erroneously labeled "dating." This has two effects. The first is that couples who skip the dating phase do not have time to develop their taste in personality and activities, which may result in strains on the relationship. Second, the custom of actually going on dates falls by the wayside, and, once married, couples find a lack of marital rituals that bind them. There is a popular belief among young people (and many couples of all ages) that going on dates is no longer necessary once a long-term relationship has been committed to.

Contrary to this belief, a lack of dating culture causes tension, distance, and stress in a marriage. A couple, for example, who first became attracted to each other through dancing, once visited Dr. Bill Doherty, citing a distance in their relationship. They had been married three years prior. When Dr. Doherty asked them when the last time they had gone dancing was, they answered "three years ago." This story can be found in greater detail in Doherty's book, Take Back Your Marriage.

In conclusion, I would like to pose a question to the readers. How can a strong dating culture be re-established in society today? What do you think? Please feel free to leave your comments below and share your ideas!