In the 19th century, the concept of marriage for economic purposes slowly fell out of favor with marriage and courtship for romance. (Or if you've binge-watched season 3 of Bridgerton, the rise in popularity of a "love match"). Young singles began to have more choices when selecting romantic prospects rather than familial arrangements. It even led to matrimonial advertisements, where eligible singles would publish open calls in periodicals to pursue romantic companionship. Of course, the embrace of courtship in the name of romance was occurring while the possibilities of romantic love were limited in heteronormative rigidity.
By the 20th century, correspondence between prospective "love matches" (those often privileged in the middle and upper classes) happened through love letters. And by the 21st century, iconic romantic comedies such as You've Got Mail perpetuated the exchange of a love letter to email, AOL style (thank you, Meg Ryan and Tom Hanks). As time moved into the mid-2010s, dating apps became the modern equivalent to the romantic adverts once printed in periodicals, regardless of whether having a dating profile was for a committed partnership, a casual fling, a one-night stand, or even just the ego-seeking validation.
In 2017, the term "gatsbying" was coined on Reddit as a millennial dating trend that pays homage to the literary classic The Great Gatsby by Scott F. Fitzgerald. It is defined by posting online, whether a thirst trap or extravagant lifestyle content, in hopes that your crush will view it; similar to how Gatsby threw lavish parties to capture Daisy Buchanan's attention.
Today, the green light isn't glowing at the end of Buchanan's dock as a symbol of hope; it's a fluorescent ring around your circular Instagram avatar. |
