By Addison Walker

When did dating get such a bad reputation? Somewhere along the way, dating became complicated. So complicated that our generation decided to give up on casual, fun, low-pressure dating. Instead, everything is a “situationship”. Maybe it’s the marketing student in me, but all I think when I hear that word is rebranding laziness. A “situationship” usually means seeing one person for months with minimal communication, zero clarity and a lot of emotional chaos; and we’re supposed to be proud of that?

Graphic courtesy of Gabby Lalonde

I always hear my mom and my friends’ parents talk about dating in the ‘90s. How people would go out with one person on Thursday, another on Saturday, and no one thought it was scandalous. It was just dating. You’d go out, maybe laugh at how awkward it was, maybe have a great time, maybe never see them again. Either way, you got a story out of it and maybe even a free dinner. Fast forward to 2025, and casual dating has become almost taboo. People get embarrassed, feel ashamed, or slap the label “situationship” on it to soften the awkwardness. But why hide it? We’re young. We have time. We should be going after things that might not last, exploring connections, and yes, occasionally ending up with someone indecent, but that’s part of learning, growing, and having stories worth telling.

Meanwhile, in our generation, I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve been asked out in person, and honestly, that should be the bare minimum. Even rarer is when someone asks for your actual number instead of sliding into your Snapchat. There’s nothing quite like meeting someone face-to-face, especially in this era of social media. Someone confident enough to ask you out and make an effort, call it retro, but there’s something thrilling about that simplicity. When did “Hey, want to grab a coffee?” become such a lost art?

Some girls will say, “Dating is dumb, it’s 2025, women don’t need men”. And they’re absolutely right, we don’t. But who said casual dating was about needing someone? We don’t need friends either, but we still make them. Dating is just making new “special” friends (while wearing better outfits).

Now let’s talk about the stigma. People act ashamed, like admitting you’re dating is some kind of weakness. So instead, they hide behind the term “situationship” as if ambiguity is empowering. Spoiler: it’s not. It’s just confusing.

And I get it- we live in a very small town and go to a very small school, but Sherbrooke is right there. We all pile into cars for Costco runs, the mall or a night out, so why pretend the campus bar is the only place you’re allowed to meet someone? Honestly, nothing says romance like locking eyes in the frozen foods section. At least it beats trying to yell “so…what program are you in?” in a mosh pit at The Gait.

We’re young, university students, this is the exact time to go on too many dates, flirt with people we’ll forget about next semester, and maybe even have our hearts broken a little. Not everything has to “last forever.” Sometimes it just has to last until the appetizer is done.

So, here’s my suggestion: let’s bring back casual dating. Say yes to coffee. Ask people out on awkward first dates. Say yes to someone asking for your actual number instead of your Snapchat username. If we can commit to a three-hour lecture, we can sit through a two-hour dinner.