Anti-daters vs pro-daters

Although I certainly do not agree with the anti-daters claim that dating is "essentially practice for divorce," I must admit that their claim has some truth. In today's society, the practice of dating many partners before marriage reflects our freedom in relationships and our denial of traditional marriage. When a dating relationship is unfulfilling to one or both partners, it would be normal to break up and end the relationship. However, I do not see how this would translate into "practice for divorce." Most people understand that marriage is a much more serious commitment than a dating relationship, and they wouldn't divorce their spouse with the same ease that they would break up with their boyfriend or girlfriend. Furthermore, I agree with Freitas and King's saying that relationships teach us how to love and care for another person. I am sure that most of my peers agree with this second stance on dating. Casual relationships help young people discover what they want in a partner as well as teaching us how to navigate the world of relationships. However, as I said, the anti-daters fears are not completely ill-founded. Today people are engaged in more casual, destructive relationships, as evinced by the hook-up culture on college campuses.