#Metoo Making Americans Scared and Confused About Dating

MarketWatch has reported that young single Americans are increasingly unsure about the boundaries in the dating world as the #Metoo movement develops.

The #Metoo movement is a viral awareness campaign concerning sexual harassment and assault.

Dan Sheehan, an interviewee, said: “In and of itself dating is kind of exhausting even when there isn’t a larger political movement around it, so I think having to do it in addition to being reminded of this terrible stuff going on is hard”.

A recent survey by Three Day Rule found that a significant number of Americans were “extremely confused” about etiquette on dates, with many nervous about being seen to adhere to traditional gender roles.

Talia Goldstein, the CEO of the dating service, said men are concerned about crossing red lines and may even be reluctant to pay for meals because of the potential social penalty.

MarketWatch reports that “one male client [of Goldstein’s] told her he put his arm around a woman’s shoulder on their first date as they walked, but then became worried it was in appropriate, so he moved his arm around her waist.

“He panicked that that, too, was inappropriate, and ultimately he ended up linking arms with her and awkwardly walking to her destination.”

Chelsea Reynolds, Ph.D., an assistant professor of communications at Cal State Fullerton, told the publication that the uncertainty is incentivising women to date women more often.

“Bicurious women might feel more comfortable exploring their sexualities in a low-pressure context today, because the potential for sexual assault is perceived as being lower with two female partners,” she said.

Another impact could be a chilling effect on speech: “In years past, young people were extremely excited about discussions surrounding sex, online dating, sexuality, etc., but now they’re worried about political correctness.”

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