Last month, I got really into binge watching the first few seasons of Sex and the City.
While it was undeniably entertaining to witness the glittery lives of the rich and powerful in New York City, what I enjoyed most about the ‘90s sitcom was the reminder of how people dated back in the day. It was refreshing to see a character write down their phone number on a napkin and hand it to a prospective suitor at a bar or cafe. And if the suitor was interested, they’d call over the landline to propose a date — or simply leave a message if no one was around.
Anyone currently navigating the dating scene can tell you that calling to set up a date is no longer commonplace. Following the COVID-19 lockdowns, dates moved almost totally online. That meant many people looking for love, especially young people, took to downloading a dating app (or two or three) and spending lots of time messaging total strangers.