Once upon a time…there was a Direct Message (DM). Many modern love stories start off with a notification and some end that way too; leaving people wondering if spontaneity, real-life chemistry or a simple “hello” is still a thing in 2026.

People often feel nostalgia over an “old school-love,” With the rise of social media, romance has changed its ways. First dates were replaced with stalking accounts and expectations are different when meeting people on screen rather than in person.

Even though social media was designed for connection, it created a different type of detachment. Oliver Garcia, junior computer science student, knows firsthand how social media can impact all types of relationships.

“I would say social media is a really important tool now in 2026, but as any other technology, it has its pros and cons,” Garcia said. “You are able to meet and connect with new people, but these relationships, if you are really focused on only social media and not connecting with them, like as a personal way, they tend to be really superficial and fragile.”

Ghosting, icks, sharking, the list of overly complicated terms goes on and on, leaving many to crave the simple love that can be found in rom-com movies from the 90s.

Stephany Palos, sophomore neuroscience student, has been social media sober for five years and her experience in the dating world differs radically from her peers who are active social media users.

“I don’t feel like I need it. I feel more at peace,” Palos said. “I feel like, without social media, you actually get to know the person before you get into something. I would say in a way that you can talk to each other in person, instead of through social media.”

Palos, like many others, believes today’s generation views love not in a wrong way, but in a distorted one.

“I would say love was honest, long lasting and meaningful. Now it’s a lot different. I’m not saying it’s not meaningful, but I think it’s not the same,” Palos said. “I think before it was more like a connection with your mind and your heart, and right now, I think a lot of people overthink it too much because of social media. So, it takes away some stuff, one person could be feeling something and misinterpret that thing. So, I wouldn’t say it’s not meaningful, but it’s not as truthful as how it used to be.”

This doesn’t mean that to find love one has to get rid of their digital self. Garcia says its not about following a script, but about real communication.

“If you feel like that person that you are with is the right one, even though it’s been two weeks, three months, whatever, just go and tell them: ‘Hey, I think you’re the right person, I would like to stay with you,’” Garcia said. “If you try to follow the logic of, ‘Okay, I’m going to first talk with them for three months, and then I’m going to see if I like them or not,’ it becomes really fragile, because you are following rules. Human emotions usually don’t have rules.”

Everyone has heard the phrase “Love will find you when you least expect it.” Some may find comfort in how true this manages to be even as years go by. Unexpectedly, it was in an English class where Vielka Valdez, junior finance student and Felix Anoveros, junior nursing student, first met as high school juniors. Now three years later, love still shines in their eyes when they look at each other.

“We had this event called ‘Light Up the Night.’ I was with my friends at the time, enjoying the moment, and then I just had this feeling in me of like, ‘Oh, I wish she was here,” Anoveros said.

”It’s kind of rare when you have some feeling like that about someone, and I don’t know, I just kind of really got to know her. So, I went home, and I called her, confessing my feelings for her, basically.”

Whether it’s a call, a text or a message in a bottle, Anoveros says being genuine remains the best way to someone’s heart.

“You don’t want to display a false character to have the girl because that’s not you, and then when you meet in person, the vibes are just, not there. There’s no chemistry there,” Anoveros said.

Just because romance is constantly on a screen, doesn’t mean that for love to last it has to be picture perfect all the time. Sometimes the moments that bring people close to each other are those when they are the most vulnerable.

“We went to Houston, Texas, and that was the first time we went out of town. It was like a school thing, and I think that was the time that I saw how fun it could be to experience the scary things with someone who’s also just as scared,” Valdez said.

Love stories today include waiting for a text and overthinking a repost from time to time, but that doesn’t mean it lacks funny anecdotes or slow dances in the kitchen. Falling in love in this generation means that if you take the risk, you can win the best of both worlds.

Vivien Noe C, is a Staff Reporter, at The Prospector and can be reached at [email protected]