Unlike previous generations where a person's late teens and early 20s meant preparing for marriage and starting families, today the average college-aged student expends more energy establishing careers and treating relationships as emotional entertainment rather than a means for finding a spouse.
Professor Michael P. Farrell, chairman of the sociology department, agreed that dating within the university environment has less of an initial focus on seriousness.
"Recreational dating occurs quite often among college students. This current trend is the way to find your mate," he said. "Besides education, universities are places for males and females to size each other up. Students have a whole world market to choose from."
Erin Harrington, a junior biological science major, said she sees this form of recreational dating in practice.
"College-aged people are more willing to just ask someone out at random if someone piques their interest," she said.
This relaxed approach to dating can be expected of students, according to Dr. J. Ross Eshleman, who in his book "The Family: An Introduction," stated that the average age at which men get married today is 27, and 25 for women.
Not everyone is of the persuasion that dating in universities is solely for recreation, however. According to Tarcio Barbosa, a freshman business major, the efforts spent on relationships in universities may have prosperous results.
"College is a place where we plan our future," said Barbosa. "Planning includes looking for a spouse, and college is a place where we can narrow down that choice."
Barbosa said he believes college students are prepared for substantial relationships.
"College relationships are more emotionally intense. People are much more goal-oriented and mature about their decisions, including choosing relationships," he said.
Brian Pustolka, a sophomore mathematics major, feels differently and said college students are more impulsive with their decisions to pursue relationships.
"In high school, most relationships happen as a result of friendly relations," said Pustolka. "Guys and girls are often friends first before dating when in high school, but a lot of time college relationships happen before the friendship does."
While some debate the capability of college students to create and maintain substantial relationships, some students have not found the opportunity to experience relationships in college.
"I haven't met anyone that I like," said Jacqueline Verruso, a junior media studies major. "I'm not too busy, it's just that out of all the people here at UB, I haven't found someone that interests me."
According to Frank Tutzauer, associate professor of communication, a person's emotional state plays a big role in their ability to develop substantial relationships and also how much they benefit from the relationship.
"If life is oppressive, people are going to be depressed and not want to seek out relationships. On the other hand, that's when they do need relationships to help them," he said. "There's an initial stumbling block, but after you overcome that, you're better off for it."
Charity Wahler, a freshman music performance major, said she believes the benefits of a relationship are worth the difficulties one might encounter when maintaining them and feels that open lines of communication can help to keep the relationship centered.
"College is a very busy time. Communication is crucial in relationships because if you don't have communication, you don't really have a relationship," she said. "I have always believed that absence makes the heart grow fonder, but it is unacceptable to go days or weeks without talking. Even small talk about classes or your day in general is important in a relationship."
