Relationships are back on our minds as Valentine’s Day creeps up on us. The fascinating dating fact about 2016 is that there are more mobile and online dating apps than ever, from Tinder to Match.com and everything in between. People are just a few clicks away from a quick date compared to the days when technology and dating had not met.
This should make relationships develop faster and more exciting — or so we think. The dating world, once a place where people had to get out and meet each other, became engulfed by technology. So, what does this mean for healthy relationships? What are some ideas to be successful in relationships?
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In Modern Romance, Aziz Ansari and co-author sociologist Eric Klinenberg take a look at love and dating. “In the history of our species, no group has ever had as many romantic options as we have now.” This should work to our advantage in the game of love.
But that doesn’t mean we are able to sort through all of this in order to create a healthy relationship in the end. Having more options can flood your decision-making process and makes it complicated like never before.
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What can you do if you are single and looking for a relationship in this time of technology?
Well, one answer might lie in this study about mindfulness and love. In a recent article in Psychology Today’s February 2016 issue by Theresa DiDonato, “A Mind for Love”, she discusses the advantage of mindfulness in helping established couples as well as those going on a first date. She continues to describe the study in Personality and Individual Differences, where Chris Pepping, a co-author of the study, is quoted in the article as saying, “Mindful people can manage emotions and stress better; thus having positive feelings.” However, they noted that men still preferred female attractiveness; meanwhile, women preferred mindful men. This tells us that mindfulness is an effective path to emotional wellbeing.
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A person can work on coping tools to reduce anxiety and stress during the dating process and after. Modern Romance cautions us against the abundance of options and help us make better decisions in love.
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