As
Love Island USA
has concluded and the villa is empty, there is a problem that still lingers on viewers’ minds. This season did not feel like the others, but what was the reason for that?
It could have been a multitude of factors, such as voting people off for having strong connections or islanders with a string of problematic pasts. While these are some of the major issues we have seen, one of the main reasons that Love Island USA felt unsettling is because we are watching this generation’s dating problems in fruition.
With couples struggling to close off until the very last minute and prominent struggles with communication affecting the villa, viewers can relate to the dilemma that they see on television.
“(The contestants) all say that they’re very committed. I get that part of (the show) is to explore, learn and grow,” said Malia Radigan, a speech, language and hearing science sophomore and avid Love Island USA viewer. “But I think if you’re saying, ‘Oh I’m committed, I like you, I like you’ but they’re not doing anything to back those actions up, I just don’t believe it.”
Dating has become a problem within Gen-Z, due to the amount of young adults participating in
hook-up culture and a lack of commitment
when it comes to relationships. This leaves many romantics broken and helpless, wanting a strong connection with somebody.
Touching on her own experience, Radigan expresses problems she has faced with dating, which are common experiences among many young adults.
“I feel like I’m very cautious. I don’t want to commit too much because what if I’m putting all of my time and my effort into this guy, and then he just ghosts me?” Radigan said.
This stems from a problem that most people from our generation face: communication. Nila Dhinaker, the operations manager for the
Center of Relationships
in Austin, has watched the hit summer series and can see some problems that relate to the general population.
“As a whole, the biggest thing that I see that’s an issue, is that the way that we communicate about relationships has completely changed, and the expectations around relationships are completely different,” Dhinaker said.
Even outside of the relationship spectrum, there seems to be a lack of communication and modern styles that do not fit present-day circumstances. For example, terms like
“situationship”
and social media platforms are new styles of communication that have been built by this generation.
“Gen Z does know how to date, but it’s that language piece that we’re missing; a way to talk about it,” Dhinaker said. “We’re using outdated language to talk about modern relationships, and we’re doing our best to put the pieces together and talk about them in the best way we can. But the communication styles have changed. The way we approach each other has changed.”
Both Radigan and Dhinaker have a common solution: Be true to yourself, as well as your partner. Radigan suggests being honest with yourself and with your partner about where you’re at. Dhinaker argues that the biggest, easiest thing you can do is to know when to cut your losses and move on.
In this day and age, it is easy to be indirect with a partner. Don’t be afraid to set boundaries for yourself and communicate with them healthily. If they’re not your person, so be it.
Take some words from the people’s princess,
Amaya Espinal
. “Sometimes I’m not the book that someone should be reading, and that’s ok.”
Estrella is an English junior from Corpus Christi, Texas.
