Can we please switch to old school love, where physical proposals were a thing. Where proposals were not done over texts or phone calls. Where instead of staying busy on phones, people would look into each other’s eyes and converse. This Gen Z will never understand what it was like, what it felt like.

When I hear my parents or grandparents describe how they met and fell in love, I see a certain purity dictated by first meetings, holding hands, exchanging letters through common acquaintances, and fighting the world to be with each other. And when I consider how long they’ve been together and how they’ve stood by each other through good times and bad, it almost always puts a smile on my face. But, I also feel envious at times. The internet has ruined many of the elements that used to make love magical. I miss the way people used to talk and write about love. It’s now only seen in vintage black-and-white films, only in dusty, faded images of my grandparents. I no longer see old school love. In fact, I’ve experienced nothing like it yet.

The respect and dignity people had for each other was unmatched. Old school love was slow and patient, it was never rushed. They didn’t expect a kiss on their first date or even third date. They made every small brief moments count, like holding hands, writing handwritten letters, talking about life over long walks. Imagine, standing out of their corridor or street just for their one glance. That’s love. Imagine, waiting for the replies to your letters for a month. That’s love. Imagine watching sunsets at beaches over Netflix and chill at home. That’s love. I believe that love comes with all the embellishments like the conveying of things through the eyes, long walks which are taken while holding hands and always feeling like something is missing when your special someone is not around. Cute gestures like buying your partner chocolates when they have a bad day or taking them to your favourite spot in the city as a way to let them into your life go a long way in making special memories. Talking through a fight or a misunderstanding instead of breaking up and moving on to the next person gives love real strength.

However, it’s slightly difficult to survive in a world where the basic idea of love is now swiping right or left on a mobile app. The kind of love we see nowadays doesn’t seem like it’s a relationship between two peoples. It seems like it’s between them and their Instagram followers. These days, people date someone for like a week and brag about them on their Instagram, change their profile pictures. That isn’t love. Going out on dates, staying busy on your phones and clicking pictures just to post on these social medias, not to create memories. That isn’t love. I’m not saying that don’t go out on dates, but can’t you keep your phone aside and just listen to your partner, look at their glowing face when the moonlight falls on them. Enjoy the small moments and don’t miss out on this happiness.