How The Female Need For Independence Has Influenced Today's Hook-Up Culture

In the words of the famous Irish poet, W.B Yeats, "Romantic Ireland's dead and gone."

Is this the case in today's dating world? Is romance truly dead?

In the 1950s, a simple, "Would you like to dance with me?" was enough to make a girl go weak at the knees. There was a dance, a conversation, a bicycle ride home and a plan to meet again. It was easy wasn't it? That's how relationships started.

Fast-forward to today where a fast-paced, ever-changing society plagued with the expectation of instant gratification has complicated, well, everything.

Has interest in anything meaningful really escaped us all? Or are we so used to wanting something, receiving it instantly, getting bored with it and moving on that the absence of a meaningful connection with someone really doesn't bother us?

I believe a lot of it has to do with the advancement of gender equality in society.

With more and more women nowadays being encouraged to be completely independent and becoming more strong-willed, determined and ambitious than ever, stories of old-fashioned romance and classic first dates are becoming a thing of the past. But why?

Has the idea of being with an incredibly and sometimes painfully, independent woman really scared the men of today away?

Are we all seen as raging, angry feminists who would sooner bite your hand off than let you pay for something for us? Does it emasculate you to be with a woman who knows her own mind and doesn't actually need a man to succeed in life?

Why is it that a romantic gesture, a thoughtful date or a genuine, "I like you, I want to know more about you" just doesn't happen anymore?

I'm asking all men, are there any romantic souls left out there who actually enjoy taking a girl out for a drink, dinner or whatever it may be and actually sit, share stories and get to know someone new?

Nobody expects her knight in shining armor to prance in on his high horse, sweep her off her feet and ride off into the sunset together for a happily ever after.

No, I'd like to think that despite all the RomComs that have given women a completely unrealistic expectation of a working relationship in today's world, we still have a good grasp of reality.

We're not asking for the sun, moon and stars here, lads, but one date with some fun, laughs and a bit of thought-provoking conversation is all it takes to create a spark.

Then again, I could be wrong here. Maybe women of today don't want to be swept off their feet. Do successful women of today have any interest in a man attempting to woo them or spend time getting to know them or are they happy creating or advancing in their careers, now that it is encouraged to do so?

Women in business are climbing the ladder like never before; is there even time for romance?

Despite it all, I still think people want to feel special at the end of the day, and even if a woman denies it, she truly desires love deep down.

Personally, I would consider myself to be one of these new age, strong and independent women, but I'm not opposed to romance. I'm a bit of a hopeless romantic at heart, and to be quite honest, I'm not entirely sure why romance is a thing of the past.

Maybe it's a culmination of things: society, gender roles or a lack of interest. Or maybe this has been one big, unnecessary rant and it's just my own bad luck that I haven't come across a good old-fashioned romantic yet.

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