1. The Cost of Last Night’s Hookup
Annabelle Schmitt
Long, long ago in a land far away, dating involved calling a girl’s home and asking the
father if you could speak to his daughter. If you were lucky, the father said yes, and then you
wooed your lady with movie dates and picnics and dinner and, eventually, if she consented, you
would become a couple and begin seeing each other exclusively (Hunter). Now, dating is an
entirely different phenomena. Since the 1900s, dating in itself has gradually been replaced by
something different altogether: hookups. No longer does dating culture prevail in society; rather,
a hookup culture prevails. Rather, young adults often engage in sexual activities, often with
strangers, without any intentions of pursuing a romantic relationship (Garcia, et al.). As this trend
continues, however, detrimental effects to the physical and mental health of young adults,
especially women, are becoming obvious in society.
In the 1960s, the introduction of contraceptives revolutionized sex and dating in America.
This time period was perhaps the first step in creating a hookup culture, as it normalized sexual
activity. With the ability to access birth control, which was a far more effective contraceptive
than those that existed at the time, women and men no longer had to worry about unwanted
pregnancies as they had in the past (Oldham and Niehuis). The risk factor of sex was reduced
tenfold, making it far more appealing to teenagers and adults alike. During that same time period,
the sexual revolution and the rise of feminism alongside the introduction of the birth control pill
removed some of the taboo surrounding sex. Feminists challenged the double standard of the
time: Why should single women be denied the same sexual pleasures that single men so easily
and so often engaged in? The sexual revolution brought about a new mindset. For the first time,

2. sex was no longer focused on appeasing the sexual desires of the man rather than the woman;
instead, women were accepted as creatures with their own sexual desires who deserved to engage
in sexual activity just as often as men did (The History of Dating). Feminists encouraged women
to embrace their sexuality as men did, as in doing this, it was supposed that men and women
would be viewed as equal. This mindset of embracing one’s sexuality, especially in women,
continues today, and perpetuates the shift toward hookup culture. In short, the introduction of the
birth control pill, the rise of feminism, and the sexual revolution of the 1960s played a crucial
role in bringing about the hookup culture of modern society. The normalization of sexual activity
during this time period served as the first necessary step away from dating culture and toward
contemporary hookup culture.
After the 1960s, other cultural changes normalized sexual activity and even hooking up.
The media played an especially crucial role in changing the dating game. In the past, displays of
sex or even making out were considered extremely risqué, but as time passed, the media became
much more lax in its depictions of sexual activity. Scenes in which couples leaned in, only to
have the scene cut to commercial, eventually replaced the commercial with the actual kiss and
then some. Movies began to glorify sex, and, more specifically, hooking up. The recent hit
reality TV show “Jersey Shore,” for instance, did not shy away from depicting its main
characters engaged in various sexual activities, to the point of “glorif[ying] hookups among
strangers, acquaintances, friends, and former partners” (Garcia, et al.). Songs, too, now openly
feature lyrics about sex and hooking up. Take, for example, Sammy Adams’ “All Night Longer,”
a song that praises college and its parties and girls. The song focuses on having fun, as he tells
his friends “so many girls, come and grab one.” Adams is obviously not interested in making a

3. connection with one of the “many girls,” as he’s inclined to “grab one” instead. His interest in a
night of fun and alcohol and girls has become typical of young adults in college today. Popular
TV shows and songs like these normalize sex and noncommittal sexual activity, and thus play a
huge role in perpetuating hook up culture.
Beyond all this, perhaps the biggest change in dating lies in the technological changes of
dating. With the introduction of the internet, hundreds and thousands of people are now able to
find each other through countless dating sites such as Match.com and eHarmony that never
would have in the past (Mantel). With access to so many individuals at the click of a button,
online dating begins to feel like online shopping (Mantel). The best example of this comes with
Tinder, a recent dating app that has taking the online dating world by storm. Tinder allows users
to browse some photos of a user and read a short tagline that the user provides him/herself. With
the swipe of a finger, you can like or dislike someone based on almost entirely appearance. With
100 free swipes per user everyday, and the ability to pay for unlimited swipes a day, options
truly are unlimited (Sales).
Online dating sites, although less extreme, have the same effect. The myriad of choices
available to people creates an atmosphere in which people become “disposable” (Mantel). If the
first or second or even third individual does not possess all the traits one desires in his/her future
partner, there’s always someone else to be found. No longer are we limited to connections we
make in person through work, school, or mutual friends. As a result, the possibility of settling
down with someone after a single date is very little. Why bother, when with the click of a button
or the swipe of a finger, there’s another attractive young man or woman that you could meet up
with and hook up with the very next day, or even later that same day? People have unlimited

4. options now, leading to a culture in which we explore these options by hooking up with new
people over and over again, rather than settling down.
In addition to cultural and technological changes that have brought about the shift from
dating to hooking up, demographics have had a large effect on dating. America’s population is
about 50% men and 50% women, but with regards to men and women with college degrees, the
numbers are far from even. Women with a college degree outnumber men by over 30%, and this
percentage is only expected to increase in coming years (Birger). Women with a college degree
are reluctant to pursue men without one (Rhoads), which means that men with college degrees
have the upper hand. As a result, men are compelled to “play the field,” rather than settle down
and get married right away (Birger). It should come as no surprise, then, that the average age at
which adults get married has increased in the past years. Women, on the other hand, are left at a
disadvantage. In an attempt to find the right partner, they end up giving men “more of what they
want,” but when men have more options, what they want is unlikely to be a relationship, and is
likely to be a hookup (Rhoads). In coming years, women with a college degree are expected to
outnumber the men with a college degree even more, meaning that this shift toward a hookup
culture shall only continue unless something is done to reverse the trend.
Only a few decades after the 1960s, it can be seen that this trend toward hookup culture
rather than dating culture is a step in the wrong direction for society. Young adults directly
engaged in the hookup culture are experiencing negative effects on their well being both
physically and mentally. Women, especially, struggle to cope with the ramifications of the
hookup culture we reside in today, regardless of whether or not they engage in hookup culture
themselves.

5. Physically, young adults face many possible dangers when hooking up with people
whose sexual history and health they do not know. In 2011, only 46.6% of students participating
in the study had used a condom in oral, anal, or vaginal intercourse (Garcia, et al.). In another
study in 2010, not a single student surveyed had used a condom during oral sex, and merely 69%
of students had used one during vaginal intercourse (Garcia, et al.). These numbers are far below
100%, and reflect the very real possibility that STI and STD levels will be affected by the
increasing amount of hookups among young people. In fact, since 2000, there has been a steady
increase in the levels of chlamydia, syphilis, gonorrhea, and herpes (Heldman and Wade). While
no studies have been carried out to see if these rising levels of STIs are directly related to the
shift toward hookup culture (Heldman and Wade), it is highly likely that if the lack of protection
used by young adults during sexual activity continues, these numbers will only continue to rise
as hookup culture continues.
Aside from the physical effects of the hookup culture, many young adults experience
emotional repercussions. Typically, hookups involve many positive feelings, such as feeling
“attractive” and “confident” (Sales), but after hooking up, young adults are prone to feeling
regret about their hook ups. In 2000, a study investigated the relationship between hookups and
self­esteem and found that both men and women who had hooked up with someone in their
lifetime had lower self­esteem scores compared to those who had never hooked up with someone
(Garcia, et al). A more recent study done in 2011 showed that over a quarter of students
experienced negative feelings after a hookup such as embarrassment, general emotional issues
and loss of respect (Garcia, et al.). Such negative feelings can occur regardless of gender, but
they are especially a problem for women.

6. After a hookup, women are far more likely than men to experience negative feelings than
men. In general, they are more likely to regret sexual encounters with people they barely know
than men. Many feel used and even guilty for having some kind of sexual encounter with
someone they barely know (Garcia, et al.). One reason is that women are naturally more inclined
to want to settle down and begin a relationship with someone. Toward the end of their college
career, most college females, if not already in one, are looking for a committed relationship
(Oldham and Niehuis). Even women who are more open to having numerous sexual encounters
with strangers find themselves confused by the upsetting feelings they begin to experience after
engaging in more and more hookups (Rhoads). For other women, the “double standard” that
exists in society causes negative feelings. Men are appraised for having numerous sexual
relations with women, whereas women are shamed for engaging in the same kinds of activities
(Heldman and Wade), and are often even considered “easy” (Sales). With their natural
inclinations and the negative stigma surrounding women that are sexually active, it’s no wonder
that women have a harder time coping with hookup culture than men.
With all these negative ramifications, it becomes hard to ignore the fact that hookup
culture must be acknowledged as a problem. Some believe that women are benefiting from
hookup culture and may even view it as empowering for women, as their sexual needs are finally
being catered to and accepted by society (Hunter), but the reality is that women are losing
respect (Rhoads). In a strange way, in their attempts to empower women, feminists have aided
the demise of their gender. Women are now able to find and engage in sex as they please,
something unheard of only decades ago, but is this necessary for equality? For the women that
do not desire meaningless sex, which is likely a majority of women (Rhoads), this hookup

7. culture makes it hard to find someone that will respect them and want more from them than sex.
Rhoads puts it perfectly when he states that, “despite all the huffing and puffing of androgynous
feminists, casual sex is not a good fit for women’s natures.”
After decades of progress and endless chants about women’s 78 cents to the dollar, the
hookup culture does not seem to empower women. Men tend to view women as sexual objects
now, rather than actual people. But the reality is that for society to function well, both men and
women must be respected and admired for more than their physical appearance and abilities in
bed. It is these views that lead to rape culture and sexual assault. Women must learn to respect
themselves before men will by not giving themselves up to men at the bar or the frat party. Men
must learn to look beyond a woman’s body and realize that every woman is made up of a brain
and heart that can do far more than her body ever will. Only then will we recover the long lost
land where dating culture and respect for women reside.
Works Cited
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