Although Millennials do not feel comfortable meeting potential dates on traditional dating sites, they are not opposed to the idea of forming committed relationships. Instead of looking for long term partners through dating sites like Match or OkCupid , they use Facebook events and hashtags to find other singles in their geographic area [ 8 ]. Face-to-face interaction is preferred over digital communication because it allows participants to get a better sense of who the other individual is, but this can be challenging when many people spend most of their time online.
The prevalence of hookup culture in today's society has led people to feel more open about engaging in casual sexual encounters [ 9 ], although these types of practices have existed since ancient times [ ]. A representative from Craigslist reveals that "it's common for Craigslist to be used for hookups" but that the site is not exclusively used for this purpose. While relationships based on sexual encounters are often fleeting, they allow people to satisfy their basic human need for intimacy.
The most interesting part about Millennial dating practices is how they have adapted in order to meet modern realities. Although Millennials are more likely than previous generations to find a committed relationship after college [ 10 ], the current generation of young adults has had to adjust its romantic expectations in order to live in a society where casual sex is more prevalent than in past years [ 11 ]. The advent of hookup culture, apps like Tinder and Grindr , and social media sites with designated events all contribute to making finding potential partners easier than ever before. Casual sexual relationships can bring positive and negative aspects to modern dating; however, it is naive to think that these practices did not exist before the invention of the internet.