Kreilys Garcia ’29 is a prospective Biology major. She’s involved in Archery and Botany Club. Around campus, you’ll most likely find her on the second floor of Swem.
The views in the article are the author’s own.
While I do understand that we live in an era in which ‘romanticizing’ romance has become our new normal, I don’t think we should be this desperate. Every conversation I have somehow turns into someone talking about their new talking stage, being left on delivered or just the classic “wait … I think they’re kind of cute.” Don’t get me wrong — I find this entertaining. Listening to other people’s relationship issues is my favorite pastime. But, at some point, doesn’t the cycle get a little repetitive?
I think this is especially obvious when you look at what I like to call college matchmaking services. If you’ve been anywhere on campus in the last couple of weeks, you’ve definitely heard of the Marriage Pact. If you haven’t — first of all, impressive — and second, here’s the rundown:
The Marriage Pact is a matchmaking activity that takes place across many college campuses. Students fill out a compatibility survey, and an algorithm finds them their closest match who could be their “optimal marital backup plan.” The Marriage Pact at the College of William and Mary has since closed, so to the people that are reading this and hoping to fill it out … sorry. I’m sure you’ll find love somewhere else (or you can also wait till next year).
The Marriage Pact isn’t the only matchmaking service here; there’s also the W&M Manual Matcher, among many others that are probably lurking around campus.
Honestly, I think these questionnaires are a little ridiculous. They ask superficial questions that don’t even necessarily align with what someone is actually looking for in a relationship. This is probably hypocritical of me, considering I filled out the Marriage Pact. (If you were my match: what’s up? Sorry I haven’t contacted you — I’m scared.)
Maybe I’m thinking too hard about it since I’m 96.7% sure most people filled it out purely for the plot. Still, the fact that we even have algorithmic matchmakers says a lot about how desperate college students — and society in general — seem to be for relationships.
Social media definitely doesn’t help. It’s flooded with ‘perfect’ couples whose relationships are curated for the consumption of hundreds of thousands of people, and everyone eats it up. If you go to the comment section of any relationship TikTok, you’ll find a comment saying something along the lines of, “May this love find me,” or, “I’m jealous — I hope y’all find out you’re cousins.” We all buy into this so quickly. One cute photo and we’re convinced that these people are in another realm of emotional intimacy we could only have in our dreams.
So when things, such as the Marriage Pact, come around, of course everyone flocks to them. It gives them a shortcut — a way to skip actually trying to meet someone. It’s a way to finally become a part of the romantic narrative that everyone else seems to be a part of, even if the whole thing is based on questions like, “Do you think pineapple belongs on pizza?”
Maybe the issue isn’t that everyone wants a relationship — it’s that everyone feels like they have to be in a relationship. Social media is constantly telling us that love is the end goal, and some people will try to rush it in any way they can.
Love doesn’t have a deadline, so maybe we should all take a breath and let it happen naturally.
