Are traditional relationships dying?

When I (25M) say traditional, I don’t mean 1950s traditional where the woman stay at home while the man works and provide. I mean a relationship where both of you are interdependent, striving to build a life together, reaching goals together, building a family or being DINKS.

In my generation, it feels different. For context, I live in NYC and despite the large population, everyone here uses dating apps and it feels like no one takes the time to really get to know someone anymore. Everyone is quick to write someone off as a potential connection if there’s no spark instantly. I feel like romantic relationships take time to grow. Back when I was younger(damn I sound old haha) even if you didn’t develop feelings for the person, people were open to staying friends unless there was clear signs of incompatibility on a vibe level. Nowadays, it’s “no spark” or “no romantic connection” and you never see them again. A lot of my friends are in long-term relationships for 5+ years and met their partners through college or friends. There was none of this “spark” nonsense. They got to know their person and it started out as friendships, which later developed into a romantic one.

Even in relationships, it feels like no one is building together anymore. Everything feels so transactional as opposed to giving back because you love the person. As a young man, I feel pressure to prove that I have everything figured out by the first date. I don’t care about climbing the corporate ladder, or owning a startup or company. I’m happy if that’s what someone wants to do, but there’s more to a relationship than just money and status. I have a stable job that pays me enough for me to partake in my hobbies, spend time with my friends and family, travel, save, and to treat myself. When I’m getting to know someone new, I want to know more about the person: their traits, their quirks, their interests, their life goals, but most importantly if we click.

Didn’t mean to turn this into a venting session, but it’s just something I noticed about today’s dating world.