Alice Burrow writes for the University of Sheffield’s Forge Press on whether the romantic first date has been eclipsed by our clubbing lifestyles:

“This is our first date, isn’t it?” my boyfriend asks, sat across from me in a restaurant.

Nothing unusual, if we weren’t a whole three months into our relationship.

As I think about it for a bit,  I suddenly realise that even when we were still just ‘seeing’ each other, we never went on a date in the traditional sense. It seems this is not a rare occurrence either; 21st century relationships are taking very different forms and unfortunately, the patterns emerging point towards the death of the date.

Long gone are the days of getting to know your potential other half over a meal or a drink and pondering the timing of that coveted first kiss. The nervousness of waiting for him or her to call you back afterwards and arrange for a follow-up date, the excitement when you turn up and see your date already waiting for you with a smile on their face… Is this all history?

Instead, making out with strangers in decrepit clubs – and sometimes waking up with them the following morning – is now accepted as part of our modern day relationship culture…

Full article here.