“The purpose of dating is not much clearer than its
definition. Before the early 1900s, when people started ‘dating,’ they
‘called.’ That is, men called on women, and everyone more or less agreed on the
point of the visit. The potential spouses assessed each other in the privacy of
her home, her parents assessed his eligibility, and either they got engaged or
he went on his way. Over the course of the 20th century, such encounters became
more casual, but even tire kickers were expected to make a purchase sooner
rather than later. Five decades ago, 72 percent of men and 87 percent of women
had gotten married by the time they were 25. By 2012, the situation had
basically reversed: 78 percent of men and 67 percent of women were unmarried at
that age.”— Judith Shulevitz, “Dating, Disrupted: Why Is Finding Love in the App Era Such Hard Work?”, The Atlantic, November 2016
(Photo of Judith Shulevitz taken in May 2013 by
Barbara Lemann.)
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