Many people may argue that the tradition of marriage is on the outs, that millennials are just not interested. But while the rate of marriage decreases, the amount of money spent on a wedding continues to climb. The average wedding costs about $30,000 which is over half the annual salary of the average American. Gone are the days of banquet hall weddings and prices. So how can you stay in your budget and stay up with the times?

Be realistic about your funds

Dream, and dream big, but don’t stress yourself out trying to figure out how to afford a venue, a dress, or even a planner that takes up most of your budget. Websites like theknot.com, weddingwire.com, and zola.com have free budgeting tools that not only track your wedding spending but also suggest a budget for each category of your wedding.

Once you understand how wedding costs are broken down and how much you have to spend – STICK TO THAT PRICE RANGE. Simply looking at more expensive options will not only disappoint you but make you spend money that you don’t have.

Take no shame in pushing your wedding date back to save more money to get what your heart desires.

Do your research
You don’t have to spend a lot of money for your wedding to be unique. Just figure out a way for it to reflect you and your groom.

Knowing when to do what also ensures low prices. For example, having your wedding on a weekday or Sunday can cut the price of your venue in half. Or, if your wedding is during the offseason (January, February, and March), you can score the same weekday prices on the weekend.

To save on flowers, be sure to pick in season. Theknot.com features a “Wedding Flower Guide”. It includes information on hundreds of flowers and when they are at the peak of their season and at their lowest cost. If a particular flower that you like isn’t in season or is kind of pricey, find one that looks similar and is available in your wedding colors. Or, don’t have flowers at all! Atlanta-based event firm ellyB events features a Hollywood Glam wedding that showcases an elegant use of feathers, and no flowers.

For a bridal couture look, at department store prices, check out David’s Bridal. They house exclusive collections with some of the wedding industry’s best such as Vera Wang and Zac Posen. Also, be on the lookout for trunk shows. Often times couture bridal designers will offer their sample gowns at a great discount. (Not sure where to find them? Ask google.)

Pinterest and Instagram should become your best friends, Instagram for inspiration, and Pinterest for unique and creative crafts.

Follow as many event planners and wedding pages on Instagram as you can stand. On these pages, you can find twists to your common wedding themes that you can use as inspiration for your wedding.

By simply searching ‘blue weddings’ on Pinterest, you would find wedding storyboards featuring chic blue stationery, images of blue bridesmaid dresses, blue bouquets, and blue decoration inspiration. These finds can keep your wedding from being predictable and give it personality.

Don’t be afraid to get your (or others’) hands dirty

Utilize all quality services of friends and family, keyword being “quality”. Cheap isn’t always better, especially if it is going to cost your peace of mind or if their work isn’t ‘as excellent as a paid professional.

Bride Tierra Fulwood has a grandmother that is a professional florist. She says, “My grandmother surprised me and said that she would cover the cost of flowers and the labor of putting together centerpieces as a wedding gift to me and Malcolm.”

Pinterest and YouTube together can be a wallet-saving grace as well. For example, floral chandeliers are becoming very popular. But the cost for the décor of a single chandelier starts at $500. This doesn’t include an installation cost if your venue doesn’t have any chandeliers to decorate. But on both Pinterest and YouTube, you can find tutorials on how to create one yourself.

Wedding DIY projects don’t have to be as extravagant as a floral chandelier, they can be smaller yet significant projects, such as bridesmaid boxes, and stationery. There are websites like Vistaprint.com, that provide hundreds of themes and templates for all your stationery needs. All you have to do is fill in your information and customize it to your liking.

Have Fun

Although it can be tedious and tiring you should enjoy the time it takes to plan your wedding. Erin Celletti, a Brides.com contributor, has a few tips for couples dragging through the process.

1. Reward yourselves at small milestones.
2. Combine planning with date nights.
3. Turn task completion into little competitions.
4. Invite friends to assist with DIY projects.

In the words of Meg Keene, author of “A Practical Wedding,” “Take some time, and enjoy being engaged. Celebrate… Because the real point of your wedding day is to end up married. Married, with grace.”

By Brianna Washington

Single parenting is becoming the new normal.

For many, becoming a parent and raising a family is the dream. To have a cohesive family unit, one with a nice home, a white picket fence, a dog, etc., is a goal that many people attribute to a “perfect” life. There are also many that may or may not want the same thing, but fit into their own mold. They’ve redefined society’s age-old narrative by creating their own version of “perfect.” They are the single-parent households and this is their story.

The emergence of the single-parent household has skyrocketed in recent decades. It is becoming more common to see households with one parent being the sole provider of everything for their children, including education, regular day-to-day expenses and emotional support. There are multiple reasons for this, as some households are like this due to divorce, abandonment by the other parent and death.

Following her divorce, Tanisha Thompson, a 42-year-old mother of two, began to realize the many demands of assuming the role of a single parent. “The hardest thing is being both parents at one time.  It was nice to be able to have a backup as a parent when I was married, but now it is all on me. Having my girls look to me for total parental support can be overwhelming at times.”

It is not uncommon for single parents to receive outside help from other family members, as the daily demands of caring for their family on their own can take a tremendous toll.  

Thompson attributes a lot of her ability to meet the demands of a single parent to the help of her parents.

“I receive a ton of help from family members,” she explains. “I have two jobs and am in graduate school. I could not provide this lifestyle for my girls without the support of my parents.”

Many parents are not able to depend on family members and sometimes shun mothers like Thompson, as they see it as taking the easy way out. There are others that view this as a positive attribute to single parenting, as the child is being raised by a community or a “village” and can be given additional attention.

Single-father households are made to feel like outsiders within the single-parent dynamic. Many single-parent households are a result of a male, usually seen as the leader or the breadwinner, abandoning his family. This creates another separate stigma geared toward males that is negative.

Single fathers are a rare breed.

Father of two Zach Flowry, however, is one of the few that challenges this stereotype. “I think because I’m a single dad, it depends who I’m talking to. You get some people who are amazed, like it’s a noble thing to be a single dad.”

There is still a stigma surrounding single parents. Many feel as if the discord within these families could create deep, emotional scars for all involved.

Thompson, however, doesn’t feel as if she is stigmatized. “At this point in my life, I think society views me as normal.  I am 42 years old and a lot of the women in my demographic who are moms are single by choice or by a failed relationship.  I don’t feel any negative stigma by being a single mom.”

While she feels as if she herself is not judged for being a single mom, Thompson’s youngest daughter has a different opinion.

“My younger daughter feels embarrassed by being a child of a single mom,” she expresses. “I know she wishes her core family unit was still intact.”

Her youngest is not alone, as many children feel that their single-parent household is not “normal.” Specifically, during early school years, many kids have friends that have two-parent households and start to notice the difference.

The media has produced programming to try changing this feeling for children of single-parent households. Media plays a huge role in influencing youth and shows such as “The Andy Griffith Show” and “Gilmore Girls” helped to show the normalcy in having just one parent.

Though single parents have seemingly adjusted to life alone, it is sometimes overlooked that they still yearn love.

Dating is something that is easy for some single parents and harder for others. Thompson has no problems with dating because of the new normalcy surrounding single parents.

“I just started dating again recently and for me it has not been an issue. I think it’s because I have been a single parent for a long time and most people my age have kids. They are juggling the same responsibilities I am.”

Flowry, however, says that dating can be a little different for guys. “It’s definitely a lot harder finding someone who wants to stay around once they find out you’ve got kids. The biggest issue is that women assume dating a guy with kids means you automatically have to take on the role of being a mom to them, even though that’s not the case at all.”  

Thompson highlights that regardless of all the stigma surrounding her single parenthood, being a mother is her greatest motivation.  

Single parents have a special kind of love and bond for their families.

“What keeps me going is to know that I am shaping the future of my kids’ lives,” she says. “That one day they will contribute to society.  I know that I am their example, good or bad.  I work hard to show them that it does pay off and you actually can have a good, balanced, and happy life as a single woman.”

Single parenting has many wonderful ups and many tough downs, but the one thing that is certain for all of these parents is that the number one thing making all of the hard work, stress and dedication worth it at the end of the day, is their endless love for their children.

Georgia State University students volunteered as actors in the Freak Show on Edgewood Haunted House. (Photo Credit: Whitney Williams)

On October 26, Georgia State University’s residency hall, the University Lofts, organized a haunted house for the school’s residents. “Freak Show on Edgewood” was run by the residence hall’s community council.

The haunted house attracted over 200 students from the combined residence halls.

Georgia State students coordinated every aspect of the haunted house.

The council created the theme, ordered the supplies and promoted the event all in the matter of a few weeks.

Other students also volunteered their services to do make-up and act in the haunted house.

Scary music, strobe lights, fog machines and screams set the tone for the students waiting in line.

Inside, a variety of killer clowns, creepy dolls and zombies spooked the students.

Many attendees that made it to the end were impressed and praised the turnout of the event. Others were too afraid to finish walking through it.

The Lofts Community Council put on another event the same week, since October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month, that was called “What’s Love Got to do With It?” It featured testimonials from survivors and a self-defense class led by officers from Georgia State University’s police department.

The success of those events would not have been possible without the budget that the council received at the beginning of the semester. This budget is allocated from the fees that students pay when they enroll at the university.

The student fees also go to dozens of other organizations that host events throughout the school year.

Many students may not know that they essentially pay for the “free” food, activities and information that are provided around campus.

Spotlight Programs Board, the largest student-run organization at Georgia State University, receives a large sum of funds from student fees. The organization is responsible for some of the biggest events at the university.

The most notable event is Pantherpalooza, where the organization books musical artists to put on a concert in the university’s sports arena.

Not all events are centered around the entertainment factor. Many organizations and academic departments organize lectures and workshops that allow students to improve skills and build their resumes.

There are many benefits to getting involved in campus events, whether it’s planning them or just attending them.

Students can also receive free information from expert panels on a variety of topics.

Career fairs serve as opportunities to network with businesses and to get insight on the potential job offers that may be available to students after they graduate.

Georgia State University student Angela Robinson said, “I like to go to events to see the effort that was put into them and see what free stuff I can get.”

According to U.S. News, going to college campus events helps students build community. You can become more connected to your school and make new friends with similar interests.

“A lot of people that don’t go to events say, ‘I don’t have enough friends or I don’t get out enough’ but the events give you those things,” said Robinson.

Being in an organization that plans events can serve as a great resumé builder. Depending on your career plans, future employers look for experience in certain fields because getting a job is not all about having excellent grades.

Students that have a lot of time on their hands can get involved to improve their college experience and keep them busy.

“I’m not able to stay around for a lot of the stuff that goes on around campus because I work when I don’t have class, and I also don’t live on campus,” said Lillian Teffere, a Georgia State University student.

Even students that do not have much free time to join an organization can volunteer at events when they get a chance. This choice will allow them to gain volunteer or community service hours.

College events and programs are a chance for students to gain experience and knowledge in academic fields that they may not be able to take classes in.

For example, if a student is interested in the film industry, but he or she does not have space in his or her course schedule to take film and media classes, he/she can attend seminars and movie screenings where experts and other students discuss films.

The experiences that a student can gain from attending or working an event can turn into memories that last a lifetime.

“Being involved in some of the creations of the events can help you grow as a leader,” said Student Affairs Advisor to Spotlight Programs Board Yabsera Demissie.

Demissie also added, “The reason that I have this position is because when I was a student I went to the events, I got really involved, and I wanted to be that person to help students have a great experience on campus.”

The benefits of attending campus activities are endless for college students. The possibilities just have to be explored.

By: Lauryn James

Have you ever noticed the divide between citizens who like police officers and the citizens who hate police officers? Most children grow looking up to police as heroes and then they begin to develop their own opinions on police officers based on personal experiences, stories from peers and the media.  Let’s take a deeper look at both sides: People behind the badge and the people without one.

For decades, America has dealt with incidents where there is police brutality. Some could be considered justifiable and some incidents are considered to be cruel.

Aaron James, a sergeant for the DeKalb County Police Department, has been wearing his badge ever since 1994. He has dealt with several American citizens, good ones and bad ones.

“The most important thing that people need to remember is that there are millions of criminals in this world and that is why police have to protect their own lives and everyone else’s,” he said. Sergeant James explained how if someone is being aggressive the police must take action first to protect their personal and civilian safety.

 “Another important thing to remember is that not all police are good police but there is nothing we can do to control that,” Sergeant James said.  It is good to keep in mind that not all police are the same. Many police have different morals, motives and experiences. Some police may be more intimidated while others are more strong and can handle tough situations better. Also, some police may take advantage of their authority and use it in an inappropriate way. For example, a police provoking a citizen by calling them out of their name or being unnecessarily rough with people.

Deshon Burgess, a 23-year-old male, was in Baton Rouge and was abruptly approached by a police officer. In this incident, the police said he stopped Burgess at the gas station because he thought he was a suspect.

“The officer did not handle this situation well at all, the officer was misusing his power, patting me down as if I was a criminal and he didn’t even tell me why I was being stopped or searched,” Burgess said. This could be an example of a bad police that officer James was referring to. “What really bothered me was the tone in the officer’s voice, he sounded aggressive, loud and he belittled me with his choice of words,” Burgess explained.  It can be difficult to have a positive outlook on police officers when there are numerous encounters where innocent civilians were treated unfairly.

Opinions are also affected by the past and recent incidents that are accessible by social media. Philando Castile, a black man, was shot by a white police while he was sitting in his car in 2016. This shooting was actually caught on tape by his girlfriend, who witnessed the whole thing. Can you recall the Ferguson v. Brown case that happened in 2014? Many people were very upset when they heard Michael Brown lost his life to a police officer. Over 20 years ago, Rodney King was brutally beaten by an officer in 1991. Is this tension between police and citizens affected by racism? Throughout history, there are patterns of minorities being assaulted by white police. There are almost 100 white-on-black shootings by a police officer in each year.

Sergeant James made a point on how important it is for citizens to comply with any police even if the police officer is not being fair. “ I can not reiterate it enough. Some police are scared or were not trained properly, but they still can carry weapons on them. With that being said, do not talk back to them,” he said. Several people may not think it is fair to let the police disrespect one’s rights, but this is only for safety reasons. Once the police leave, you can address the issue and file a complaint on the police. Just make sure you can remember the officer’s badge number.

If you put yourself in the officer’s shoes, maybe you can imagine how frightening it may be to deal with a complete stranger. Someone who is upset and not listening to your instructions by yelling or turning away would make any way defensive. Some could argue that police should not be scared of their job because that is what they signed up for.  Others can argue that law abiding citizens should listen to the police because police have an authoritative role.

There are songs that were made in spite of police officers. One of the most popular songs was made by Tupac Shakur, titled “F*** the Police.” Tupac made this song because of his own bad experiences with the police. The police were upset with Tupac because he was not a law-abiding citizen. A police officer’s job is to protect the community and Tupac was an artist who wanted to spread meaningful messages across the nation. This has always been a controversial topic and it will continue to be one. Hatred towards police will continue because certain people will not forgive any police brutality from the past. It would be a dream come true to America if citizens could be compliant to the police and if the police could respect these citizen’s lives. 

Couple sits close together admiring sunset

By Lillian Teffere

Who needs old-fashioned dating when there’s an app for that? From heart-eyed emojis to breaking up over text messaging, it’s no secret that digital technology is completely transforming today’s dating scene.

Social media applications such as Tinder and Instagram are replacing the traditional process of dating. Now with just the swipe of a finger, you can find a potential partner within seconds, all the while finding out what you need to know about them in 150 words or less.

While the traditional concept of dating is remembered as two people attracted to each other and spending time together, that is no longer the case. Stephanie Sudden, a woman born in the 1940s, explained how much of a transformation she’s seen happen to dating since she was younger.

“Dating in the 50s and 60s was a completely different thing. We had different music, things were just different, but in a good way! You had dances after school or on the weekends, and then there were house parties on the weekend. You got together as a group, and you met people in a different way. You met them in those groups, or your best friend’s brothers or that kind of thing. It was a much more intimate thing than it is now where you’ve got some digital thing involved.”

Matios Teffere is a 16 year old, growing up heavily influenced by the digital age. Doing the majority of his social interactions through text messaging or online through social media, Teffere’s view on dating has become the complete opposite of  Sudden.

“Dating is kind of a mix of meeting people in person, like at school or parties, and then getting their social media info. Then you guys just talk, but over that. It’s that or being at the same place, and one of their friends gives you their social media info. Or you come across their page on Instagram because you have mutual friends.”

The simplicity of private messaging has reinvented the capability to pursue potential partners. Through sites specifically made for dating, such as Tinder and Plenty of Fish, you get to learn just enough information about a person. Generally, in these 150 words or less biographies, you can learn a person’s height, weight and some vague information regarding his or her personality.

Khadijah Jones and Quania Davis, both recent college graduates in their early twenties, have taken a trial run on online dating applications. Ranging from Black People Meet to Tinder, their experiences served everything but authentic connections.

When asked how the two felt towards online dating,  Jones stated, “It’s more personable. I’m all based on vibes and when I meet you in person, I get more of a tangible connection., versus online where I get a picture that I have to decipher.”

Davis said, “It’s like an onion theory. I think with online dating it’s more layers. You have to pull it piece by piece to get to know someone. In person, it’s not as much of a facade. There’s definitely more trust meeting someone in person than online.”

Online profiles allow people to establish an unconscious bias towards whoever’s profile they’re viewing. When you look at someone’s’ profile, you’re only given a side of them that highlights their positive attributes. This makes it harder to establish a true chemistry if you have a false, unrealistically-perfect image of them from the very beginning.

A common difficulty people are finding now in dating is establishing where they stand with their partner. Over the course of a few decades, the terminology applicable to dating has also made a complete transformation.

When asked to explain the terminology of her day, Sudden described it as a lengthier process. Hanging out, going steady, getting pinned, engagement, and marriage were the steps in dating that usually spanned over the course of a few years.

Hanging out was simply that, but in a group setting. Going steady was where you spent more time separately with one specific person. Getting pinned was where a guy gave you their fraternity pin which was a symbol of future engagement. When you got engaged, you would usually stay engaged for a year. Over that time, you would announce the engagement to everyone in the community and start getting things in order for your future together. Finally, after the course of what took years, you and your partner got married.

Now, dating is a much shorter process with only three steps: talking, “situationship,”  and in the rare occurrence: a relationship. Teffere explained that dating in the digital age is basically wanting the facade of a relationship, just not the work of one.

“You’ve got talking, also called “vibing,” where you’re usually trying to get to know someone mostly over text. You hang out in groups more than you would alone, but sometimes you do get together alone. Usually, it’s for food or to hook up. This is generally where you get caught up in a “situationship.” It’s just a relationship with no foundation. There’s no commitment, but you get all the benefits of a relationship. It’s a lot easier than a relationship, but usually ends up a lot more complicated.”

With the emergence of social media and online dating, establishing a genuine connection with someone has become a thing of the past. The more involvement digital apps take in the day to day lives of society, the less time we spend getting to know people for more than 150 words and a few photos online. While society is more connected than it has ever been, we are quickly becoming more emotionally disconnected from each other. Simply put, there’s no longer charm in dating since now there’s an app for that!

By: Jazmon Ross

photo by Jazmon Ross

With Georgia State University having an open campus in the heart of downtown Atlanta, students are exposed to a city life that can be benefiting and intimidating. GSU police are obliged to lessen the intimidation of campus life and heighten the security.

When asked, the majority of students said that when they were accepted to GSU, their parents were hesitant to loosen their reigns because of the university’s non-traditional campus and its location.

“The good thing about the location is that it gives a lot more opportunities to link up with people that will help you get closer to what you’re looking for, as far as career options,” junior Cany Ede-Ifeobu said. “But at the same time, you have a bunch of students and people targeting them. Everything is around you.”

According to the Atlanta Regional Council for Higher Education, Atlanta is seventh in student enrollment among America’s largest urban areas. The ratio of students flooding the city streets is at an all-time high, which means more law enforcement are needed to secure the non-traditional campus.

The most commonly reported campus crime is “snatch theft.” Being that GSU’s campus is open to the public, interactions are inevitable, but if students follow the proper safety measures, they will know how to avoid certain situations. Theft incidents are usually crimes of opportunity, but criminals are always looking for their next easy target.

While students may just find themselves in the wrong place at the wrong time, there are steps that can be taken to avoid becoming the victim of such crimes. GSU police encourage students to be aware of their surroundings at all times and walk in groups if possible. Another tip for avoiding snatch-theft incidents is to keep mobile devices out of sight when walking down the street.

Many students are also concerned about the prominence of homelessness on this non-traditional campus. As stated by the Atlanta Mission, there are about 7,000 homeless people in Atlanta.

The surge of homelessness throughout GSU’s open campus is tough for students to get used to. It is also tough on police officers who patrol an open campus that invites the general public to wander freely, all while balancing the safety of students and communal service toward the members of the community who are often forgotten.

“We are here for students and the community knows that we’re available,” Field Training Officer Eric Aguiar said. “Public safety is everybody’s main concern, so we make sure that we’re responding to issues with professionalism and coming up with other ways to help the community orchestrate their resources.”

The Homeless Outreach Proactive Engagement (HOPE) program is an initiative brought on by GSU’s police department with the mission of assisting and informing those who are less fortunate of the resources that are available, such as local churches and medical centers.

Aside from GSU police taking on the role of community outreach and student protection, they also accept their part in educating the student body. Throughout the course of each semester, GSU police seek to educate students on the importance of campus safety by way of seminars and comprehensive classes. Courses offered, such as Fight to Flight and Sexual Misconduct, are primarily focused on crime prevention and self-defense.

One class in particular that makes use of hands-on education is Alcohol Awareness. One might believe that it would be quite difficult to operate a golf cart around a set of cones and walk in a straight line, all while wearing vision-obscuring goggles. Well, GSU police use this very method to teach students the dangers of driving under the influence and let them see, firsthand, the importance of pedestrian safety.

These nationally credited classes are ways for students to learn about proper safety measures, both academically and hands-on. Students are taught practical lessons that range from conditioning their bodies for quick responses and recognizing state law, to applying safety tips to any given scenario.

It is important for police to include students and parents in their efforts. Social media is one of the department’s fun and interactive tools used to make parents feel both involved in their child’s college life and confident in campus police. The GSU Police Department runs its own media accounts on social sites such as Twitter and Facebook, which are used to promote community outreach events, share information about ongoing criminal investigations and gain feedback from fellow community members.

In addition, the LiveSafe mobile app is changing the dynamics of social communication between police and the student body. Provided for both iPhone and Android users, the app allows two-way communication between students and officials through text, audio and video. Students can share their locations during emergencies and get access to safety resources. Through the app, users may also send in anonymous tips for criminal reports.

As an effort to reassure parents of campus safety, LiveSafe provides a SafeWalk feature that invites parents to virtually walk with their child to his or her destination and receive a notification when that child has safely arrived.

 “I think the chief is doing a great job with the added initiatives, as far as good visibility plans, the partnership with Atlanta Ambassador, and the resource projects set in place,” Aguiar said.

Even though GSU’s non-traditional campus presents a challenge to the police department, GSU officials do a great job of assuming the responsibility of maintaining student safety, family incorporation, and community service. If students, faculty or parents have any safety concerns and anonymous tips or would like to receive daily notifications, more information on the GSU Police Department can be found here.

By Lillian Teffere

Who needs old-fashioned dating when there’s an app for that? From heart-eyed emojis to breaking up over text messaging, it’s no secret that digital technology is completely transforming today’s dating scene.

Social media applications such as Tinder and Instagram are replacing the traditional process of dating. Now with just the swipe of a finger, you can find a potential partner within seconds, all the while finding out what you need to know about them in 150 words or less.

While the traditional concept of dating is remembered as two people attracted to each other and spending time together, that is no longer the case. Stephanie Sudden, a woman born in the 1940s, explained how much of a transformation she’s seen happen to dating since she was younger.

“Dating in the 50s and 60s was a completely different thing. We had different music, things were just different, but in a good way! You had dances after school or on the weekends, and then there were house parties on the weekend. You got together as a group, and you met people in a different way. You met them in those groups, or your best friend’s brothers or that kind of thing. It was a much more intimate thing than it is now where you’ve got some digital thing involved.”

Matios Teffere is a 16 year old, growing up heavily influenced by the digital age. Doing the majority of his social interactions through text messaging or online through social media, Teffere’s view on dating has become the complete opposite of Ms. Sudden.

“Dating is kind of a mix of meeting people in person, like at school or parties, and then getting their social media info. Then you guys just talk, but over that. It’s that or being at the same place, and one of their friends gives you their social media info. Or you come across their page on Instagram because you have mutual friends.”

The simplicity of private messaging has reinvented the capability to pursue potential partners. Through sites specifically made for dating, such as Tinder and Plenty of Fish, you get to learn just enough information about a person. Generally, in these 150 words or less biographies, you can learn a person’s height, weight and some vague information regarding his or her personality.

Khadijah Jones and Quania Davis, both recent college graduates in their early twenties, have taken a trial run on online dating applications. Ranging from Black People Meet to Tinder, their experiences served everything but authentic connections.

When asked how the two felt towards online dating,  Jones stated, “It’s more personable. I’m all based on vibes and when I meet you in person, I get more of a tangible connection., versus online where I get a picture that I have to decipher.”

Davis said, “It’s like an onion theory. I think with online dating it’s more layers. You have to pull it piece by piece to get to know someone. In person, it’s not as much of a facade. There’s definitely more trust meeting someone in person than online.”

Online profiles allow people to establish an unconscious bias towards whoever’s profile they’re viewing. When you look at someone’s’ profile, you’re only given a side of them that highlights their positive attributes. This makes it harder to establish a true chemistry if you have a false, unrealistically-perfect image of them from the very beginning.

A common difficulty people are finding now in dating is establishing where they stand with their partner. Over the course of a few decades, the terminology applicable to dating has also made a complete transformation.

When asked to explain the terminology of her day, Ms. Sudden described it as a lengthier process. Hanging out, going steady, getting pinned, engagement, and marriage were the steps in dating that usually spanned over the course of a few years.

Hanging out was simply that, but in a group setting. Going steady was where you spent more time separately with one specific person. Getting pinned was where a guy gave you their fraternity pin which was a symbol of future engagement. When you got engaged, you would usually stay engaged for a year. Over that time, you would announce the engagement to everyone in the community and start getting things in order for your future together. Finally, after the course of what took years, you and your partner got married.

Now, dating is a much shorter process with only three steps: talking, “situationship,”  and in the rare occurrence: a relationship. Teffere explained that dating in the digital age is basically wanting the facade of a relationship, just not the work of one.

“You’ve got talking, also called “vibing,” where you’re usually trying to get to know someone mostly over text. You hang out in groups more than you would alone, but sometimes you do get together alone. Usually, it’s for food or to hook up. This is generally where you get caught up in a “situationship.” It’s just a relationship with no foundation. There’s no commitment, but you get all the benefits of a relationship. It’s a lot easier than a relationship, but usually ends up a lot more complicated.”

With the emergence of social media and online dating, establishing a genuine connection with someone has become a thing of the past. The more involvement digital apps take in the day to day lives of society, the less time we spend getting to know people for more than 150 words and a few photos online. While society is more connected than it has ever been, we are quickly becoming more emotionally disconnected from each other. Simply put, there’s no longer charm in dating since now there’s an app for that!

CAPTION: Couple sits close together admiring sunset.