Dating vs. Hanging Out and Hooking Up

By Jessica Allen

Ever since the 1970's dating has been suffering a slow and agonizing death as hooking up and hanging out have, for the most part, taken its place on college campuses.

In the article The Shift from Dating to Hooking Up: What Scholars Have Missed by Kathleen A. Bogle wrote "the problem is that traditional dating does not reflect what is happening in college students' lives. Most college students do not go on formal dates, instead they "hook up"".

The article states it is becoming more popular on college campuses that hooking up or hanging out is preferred by students as opposed to formal dating.

Studies have also shown that most students only go on dates for required events or when they are in an exclusive relationship the article states.

Not everyone prefers this route however as Alyse Marchant said, "I think guys should ask girls on dates more because all they want to do is hang out. I think its fun to go out on a date, I think it takes initiative while lots of guys just want to take the simple route and don't want to spend money or time thinking about things to do."

Hanging out is becoming a more popular trend in place of dating, some students at Utah State University noticed.

Tyler Jensen said, "dating in our time has changed a lot as we're starting to hang out more, it's easier to ask out a girl to come with us than just ask her out on date so that she's doesn't feel nervous or up tight".

Jensen also found it helps men as well as he said, "guys can be more relaxed and we can just hang out with a good environment and a good vibe."

Planning a date and coming up with the money for one can be difficult for college students as they are usually broke and sometimes uncreative, Jensen said.

The article states that hooking up may lead to hanging out, talking, and possibly dating though it does not happen very often studies showed.

The article states that hooking up has various meanings and that "peers are very interested in what one another are doing sexually and the term hooking up allows students to convey that something sexual happened without actually "kissing and telling" the details."

However the article stated that hooking up and hanging out are not a permanent form that is evolving.

Studies in 2004, the article stated, revealed that after college students graduated they engaged and preferred traditional dating and rarely hooked up.