Dating: What's the Point?

I think that a lot of the "extracurricular" dating that occurs today is practice for marriage. If people become used to only experiencing one person and getting to the know them for a short period of time before dumping  him or her, he or she might carry that same mentality over to marriage. However, I do not agree that we should avoid dating completely, but merely choose our dates wisely to develop a particular preference in a partner. As Freitas and King stated, dating allows a person to grow and experience multiple different people in order to fully gain an understanding of oneself and what one hopes to find in a significant other. I think that a lot of my peers date merely to say that they are dating someone. The social status that comes with the title of being "coupled" is irresistible for some. I even have close friends that remain with boyfriends because of their own insecurities. If people were more particular with their relationships, society today would probably not have as many "hook-ups" in today's world. Although most people have their own understanding of what a hook-up is, according to the graphs displayed in the article, most people want to have an emotional response or possibly a relationship, but believe that the chances of an actual relationship forming are very slim. In most cases, women are left waiting for a phone call or text that isn't coming. Also, according to the article, most college students are "hooking-up" as often as everyone thinks they are. The stating of one's "hook-ups" is merely a tool for social acceptance rather than a bragging of one's true actions.