Used to be Valentine’s Day was a time when guys would ask a girl out on a “date.”

That seems like the distant past with “hanging-out” replacing “dating” and women doing outrageous things like paying for their own meals. 

A recent New York Times article goes as far as to claim that our generation is witnessing “the end of courtship.”

However, this may not be a bad thing. Gone are the age-old formalities, excessive chivalry, and pre-determined gender roles. Enter texting and social media.

But these modes of communication have their limits too. Interactions with romantic interests can often be vague, confusing, and unfulfilling.

Another recent article proclaims that our generation’s hook-up culture and media dependency has left us unprepared for the basics of a commited relationship. 

The basics involve sharing and, often (gulp)… some vulnerability.

But as Brené Brown, a University of Houston researcher states:

“Staying vulnerable is a risk we have to take if we want to experience connection”

So… what does all this suggest? Do we college students of generation Y really lack connection? Dating skills?

What are you doing on Valentine’s Day?