Eric and Alana, starting with their fourth podcast, brought up the idea of Millennial love – the way romance and love have changed with the addition of all this technology.   As a single 28 year old, the only thing I know about love is what it’s not – still, the thought intrigued me.

As people start using more and more technology – it is as if everyone is on social networking sites: from Twitter to Brightkite to Foursquare.  All three provide an interesting conundrum – knowing what someone is doing when you’re not with them.  The latter two even directly provide the location.  Modern romance, at it’s heart, is a series of Olympic level challenges balancing the insecurities of the two individuals involved.  Does she like me?  Will she like me if I come on too strong?  Should I call?  All these questions are all relatively common to the picture of dating as a whole.   Technology added more hurdles – what is the meaning behind a text message?  A Facebook “poke” (remember those)? A Twitter DM.  I know where she’s hanging out, if I go there will it appear I’m coming on too strong?  Should I stay or should I go?  Question upon question upon question…

Where do these new technologies fall in the rules of courtship?  Should the rules be evaluated?  Were there ever really rules – or just a series of phrases given to the misguided to try to establish a feeling of control in a world where chance and timing have as much to do with success as the other variables we hold in a much higher regard.

Obviously I don’t really know the answers, but I do know it will be fun to find out.   After all, all this technology will ultimately provide me a record of how I meet the woman I spend the rest of my life with.  The narrative is never truly in our control and only hindsight will really provide any answers.  Still, sometimes I wish it was just as easy as typing into Google “George Smith’s Future Wife” and finding the answer.
Then again – maybe it will be:

Be sure to check out Alana on Techyness.com and also the Millennio.us podcast!